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Elastic Cartilage Function. Elastic cartilage function is two-fold: to change cartilage shape in response to tension, compression, and bending before returning to an at-rest state, and to provide a strong but flexible structure.
Elastic cartilage is your most flexible cartilage. It supports parts of your body that need to bend and move to function. Elastic cartilage can bounce back to its original shape, even after a strong force.
Elastic cartilage, sometimes referred to as yellow fibrocartilage, is a type of cartilage that provides both strength and elasticity to certain parts of the body, such as the ears. In elastic cartilage, chondrocytes are organised into elastic fibers , which make up a threadlike network or matrix.
Articular cartilage is specifically the smooth, white tissue covering the ends of bones where they come together to form joints. Healthy articular cartilage allows joints to move and glide over each other with very little friction, but is subject to damage and injury, as well as normal wear and tear.
Elastic Cartilage. This cartilage appears a dull yellow and is most commonly found in the larynx, ear, epiglottis, and eustachian tube. A perichondrium-like layer also surrounds it. It provides flexibility and is resilient to pressure. [3]
Elastic cartilage forms the flexible structural framework of the external ear (auricle), the auditory (Eustachian) tube, the epiglottis, and the cuneiform cartilages inside the larynx that support the vocal cords.
Function of Cartilage. Cartilage has 3 main functions: It provides a supportive framework for the walls of the airways (nose, trachea, larynx and bronchi) which prevents them from collapsing. It forms the articular surfaces of bone.
Elastic cartilage is distinguished by the presence of elastin in the ECM. Elastic cartilage provides a structural function, represented by the support it provides in the airtube and external ear. Lastly, fibrocartilage has a higher proportion of type I collagen in the matrix.
Elastic cartilage’s role is purely structural, offering flexibility and resilience due to a mixture of elastic fibers and type II collagen fibers. It is yellow in color, and without the organized structure of fibrocartilage when viewed on a microscope slide.
In summary, the functions of elastic cartilage include providing flexibility and shape to the outer ear, facilitating swallowing and breathing by the epiglottis, modulating voice quality in the larynx, and maintaining the structure and pressure balance in the Eustachian tube.