Question

In a road accident, Ramesh’s nose got damaged badly, which resulted in the complete breakage of his septal cartilage. The doctor advised him for a surgery to replace the septal cartilage with a new one. Which type of cartilage do you think should be used in the surgery?

• A. Elastic
• B. Hyaline
• C. Fibrous
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is B Hyaline

Hyaline cartilage is the most abundant cartilage found in the human body. It is a pearly bluish-white coloured translucent cartilage which is mostly made up of a dense network of collagen fibres embedded in proteoglycan gel. It is found in the nose, ribs, larynx, and trachea. It provides mechanical strength to the organs.
In the nose, there is the nasal septum at the middle which divides the nose into two equal halves that form the nasal chambers. The nasal septum is made up of bone and hyaline cartilage which supports the nose at the front. The nose is supported at the back by the nasal bone. So the doctor should use hyaline cartilage to replace the septal cartilage surgically.
Elastic cartilage supports the external ear, and it is also present in epiglottis and cartilages of Santorini in the larynx. Fibrous cartilage is generally present in the intervertebral discs and pubic symphysis.