An Electron Microscope Study of the Cartilaginous Matrix in the Developing Tibia of the Fowl

Abstract

ABSTRACT The methods of optical and electron histology have been applied to the study of structural changes in the cartilaginous matrix of the developing fowl tibia. A fine fibrous component without distinctly recognizable periodic structure occurs in the cartilage matrix throughout development and in adult life. Collagen-fibres appear later than the ‘unbanded’ fibrils and develop differently in the different regions of the tibia. The possible significance of these observations is discussed.