Cartilage
Most of the skeleton consists of hard bones. However, at some places in the skeleton there is a material ich is not as hard as bones and which can be bent. It is called cartilage. So, we can now say that though most of the skeleton is made of bones but it has some cartilage too Cartilage is a firm but flexible material d at some places in the skeleton Cartilage is much softer than bone. Cartilage can be bent without haking. In fact, cartilage is a kind of softer and elastic bone Cartilage is present in the following places in our body :
Cartilage
Cartilage is present in the pinnae of ears (upper part of ears) Cartilage is found at the end of nose. Cartilage is found on the end of bones where they meet one another at a joint Cartilage is also present (as cartilage discs) between the vertebrae of backbone.
The upper part of our ear is called pinna and the lower part aled ear lobe. If we press the pinna of our ear and the ear lobe been our fingers, turn by turn, we will find that the pinna is harder the ear lobe (see Figure 8). The pinna (upper part) of our ear s cartilage. Cartilage gives support and shape to the ear. Clage is flexible that is why we can bend the pinna of our ear quite without the danger of breaking.
Feel the end of your nose. We can bend the nose easily. There is a cartilage in the end of our nose. It is the presence of cartilage which gives support and shape to our nose. From the above discussion we endide that cartilage gives support and shape to organs like ears and nose.
Camilage is also found on the ends of bones where they meet one another at a joint. Cartilage is smooth. The layer of smooth cartilage reduces friction and allows the ends of bones to move easily over each ther without damaging them. Thus, cartilage is found in the joints of our body.
Discs of cartilage are present between the various small bones (vertebrae) of the backbone. The presence Milage discs between vertebrae makes the backbone flexible, so that it can bend. The cartilage discs aborb the shocks when we run, jump, or do other such activities.