Cartilage relies on diffusion for nutrient exchange due to its avascular nature. True or False?

Study for the IMAT Biology Exam with focused multiple-choice questions. Use hints and explanations to enhance your preparation. Get ready for your exam success!

Multiple Choice

Cartilage relies on diffusion for nutrient exchange due to its avascular nature. True or False?

Explanation:
Cartilage is avascular, so its cells must obtain nutrients by diffusion from nearby blood vessels in the surrounding tissues (like the perichondrium) or from synovial fluid in joints. The dense extracellular matrix blocks direct blood vessel delivery, so nutrients and oxygen move through the matrix by diffusion until they reach chondrocytes, and waste products diffuse outward. This diffusion-based nourishment is required both during growth and in mature cartilage, making the statement true.

Cartilage is avascular, so its cells must obtain nutrients by diffusion from nearby blood vessels in the surrounding tissues (like the perichondrium) or from synovial fluid in joints. The dense extracellular matrix blocks direct blood vessel delivery, so nutrients and oxygen move through the matrix by diffusion until they reach chondrocytes, and waste products diffuse outward. This diffusion-based nourishment is required both during growth and in mature cartilage, making the statement true.

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