Skeleton intervertebral discs. It is not as hard and rigid as bone but is stiffer and less flexible than muscle. Cartilage is composed of specialized cells called chondrocytes that produce a large amount of extracellular matrix composed of Type II collagen (except Fibrocartilage which also contains type I collagen) fibers, abundant ground substance rich in proteoglycan, and elastin fibers. Cartilage is classified in three types, elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage, which differ in the relative amounts of these three main components. Unlike other connective tissues, cartilage does not contain blood vessels. The chondrocytes are supplied by diffusion, helped by the
Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology which is the "anatomy and embryology of vertebrates."" In contrast, Romagnoli defended the journal's decision to publish the paper, saying that it was within the journal's scope because it pertains to “issues related to the biology of pregnancy and prenatal development and with the tissues of the immune system”. Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology The Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology (sometimes abbreviated as the IJAE) is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of anatomy and embryology. It was established in 1901 by Giulio Chiarugi and is published by Firenze University Press. It is the official journal of the Italian