the.com/cartilages
the body's shock absorbers, building the parts of you that outlast the rest.
means The firm, flexible connective tissue that cushions your joints, shapes your nose and ears, and frames structures throughout the body.
from From Latin 'cartilago,' meaning gristle — the same word Roman writers used for the springy stuff you'd notice chewing meat or feeling your own ears. It came into English through medical and anatomical writing, keeping its Latin sense intact: the body's bendable, not-quite-bone material.
- no blood
- Cartilage has no blood supply, so heals painfully slowly
- nose endures
- Ears and nose are pure cartilage, growing lifelong
- shark skeleton
- Sharks have skeletons made entirely of cartilage
- once cartilage
- Your skeleton started as cartilage before turning to bone
- frictionless
- Slicker than ice, easing joint movement nearly resistance-free
ear cartilage — the auricular cartilage that gives structure to the external ear in all mammals
tracheal cartilage — c-shaped rings in the human trachea that prevent airway collapse during breathing
meniscus cartilage — crescent-shaped cartilage discs in the knee joint, famously torn by athletes like derrick rose in 2012