In early development, the greater part of the skeleton is cartilaginous, but, during later stages of development, the cartilage is remodeled and replaced by bone. The process is called endochondral ossification . Hyaline cartilage is found at the ventral ends of ribs and in the nose, larynx, trachea, and articular surfaces of adjacent bones of movable joints. It is the acidic sulfate groups of the proteoglycans comprising the ground substance that account for the staining reaction just noted. Metachromasia means that a cell or tissue takes on a color different from the dye solution with which it is stained.
Fibrocartilage has a limited distribution.
Fibrocartilage has characteristics similar to both dense connective tissue and hyaline cartilage. It is always associated with dense connective tissue, and, because of its usual paucity of cartilage cells, there appears to be a gradual transition between the two types of connective tissue. Although cartilage cells are not abundant, they are arranged in scattered clusters in parallel arrays, reflecting the direction of stresses placed upon the tissue. Fibrocartilage has no identifiable perichondrium and differs in this regard from hyaline and elastic cartilage. It is yellow and is more flexible and elastic than the other cartilage types owing to abundant branching elastic fibers in its matrix.