Slide 20 - Symphysis Pubis, where a very tough, immovable joint is formed between the two pubic bones.  Look first with lower power for general orientation and notice a central strip of rather basophilic hyaline cartilage lying between two ends of ossifying bone (pink).  Inserting on the bone from both sides are masses of skeletal muscle (also bright pink;).  At the junction of this dense c.t. and the hyaline cartilage lies a transitional zone of fibro-cartilage where the two tissues intermingle.  You will be able to see heavy strands of pink collagenous fibers coursing through the more basophilic matrix.  Also, as you move from the dense c.t. to the cartilage, the unencapsulated fibroblasts of the ligament become replaced by chondrocytes in lacunae.  The zone called fibro-cartilage contains chondrocytes, cartilagenous matrix, and dense, visible collagenous fibers.  (Remember that hyaline cartilage itself contains collagenous fibers, but in much lesser quantities and not present in thick bundles).

How are cartilages nourished?  Where is the vascular supply?  From what kind of cells do chondrocytes develop?  How would cartilage be repaired if injured?