69
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
H. Ehrlich, Biological Materials of Marine Origin, Biologically- Inspired Systems 4,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5730-1_2
Chapter 2
Cartilage of Marine Vertebrates
Abstract Cartilage is primarily composed of a specialised extracellular matrix
synthesised by chondrocytes and contains of the numerous molecules (collagens,
polysaccharides, low molecular peptides). This biological material represents
unique avascular tissue. This chapter considers the current state-of-the-art biomaterial characterisation of both non-mineralized and mineralized (calcifi ed) cartilages,
with respect to the future tissues in biomimetical and biomedical applications.
2.1 From Non-mineralized to Mineralized Cartilage
Non-mineralized Cartilage Cartilage can be defi ned generally as an internal
cellular support tissue high in fi brous protein and mucopolysaccharide content
( Cole and Hall 2004 ; Hall 2005 ). Historically, cartilage has been defi ned as a
vertebrate tissue that forms part of the skeletal system that is grossly different
from mineralized bone both in function and histological composition (Cole 2011 ).
Romer ( 1964 ) suggested that cartilage arose in the vertebrates as an embryonic
adaptation to stresses and deformations produced by rapid growth. Since then, the
view seems to have prevailed amongst most biologists that cartilage is a uniquely
vertebrate tissue.
Interestingly, cartilage-like tissues have also been described in a variety of invertebrate lineages. For example, cartilages found within Cephalopod mollusks are
remarkably similar to vertebrate hyaline cartilage at a histological level (Cole and
Hall 2004 ). The polychaete family Sabellidae is defi ned by the presence of a cellular cartilage-like skeleton within its feeding tentacles (see for review Person and
Philpott 1963 , 1969 ; Kupriyanova and Rouse 2008 ). However, principally invertebrates appear to lack any tissue that is biochemically or morphologically identical
with vertebrate cellular cartilage (Cattell et al. 2011 ). Moreover, “comprehensive
analysis of gene expression in amphioxus, a basal chordate, suggests that no single
invertebrate cell type coexpresses all, or even most, of the genes needed to drive
cellular cartilage formation” (Cattell et al. 2011 ). The hemichordate Saccoglossus
bromophenolosus possess so called acellular cartilage. This cell-free cartilage is
secreted by pharyngeal endodermal cells. It was proposed that this kind of endodermal
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
H. Ehrlich, Biological Materials of Marine Origin, Biologically- Inspired Systems 4,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5730-1_2
Chapter 2
Cartilage of Marine Vertebrates
Abstract Cartilage is primarily composed of a specialised extracellular matrix
synthesised by chondrocytes and contains of the numerous molecules (collagens,
polysaccharides, low molecular peptides). This biological material represents
unique avascular tissue. This chapter considers the current state-of-the-art biomaterial characterisation of both non-mineralized and mineralized (calcifi ed) cartilages,
with respect to the future tissues in biomimetical and biomedical applications.
2.1 From Non-mineralized to Mineralized Cartilage
Non-mineralized Cartilage Cartilage can be defi ned generally as an internal
cellular support tissue high in fi brous protein and mucopolysaccharide content
( Cole and Hall 2004 ; Hall 2005 ). Historically, cartilage has been defi ned as a
vertebrate tissue that forms part of the skeletal system that is grossly different
from mineralized bone both in function and histological composition (Cole 2011 ).
Romer ( 1964 ) suggested that cartilage arose in the vertebrates as an embryonic
adaptation to stresses and deformations produced by rapid growth. Since then, the
view seems to have prevailed amongst most biologists that cartilage is a uniquely
vertebrate tissue.
Interestingly, cartilage-like tissues have also been described in a variety of invertebrate lineages. For example, cartilages found within Cephalopod mollusks are
remarkably similar to vertebrate hyaline cartilage at a histological level (Cole and
Hall 2004 ). The polychaete family Sabellidae is defi ned by the presence of a cellular cartilage-like skeleton within its feeding tentacles (see for review Person and
Philpott 1963 , 1969 ; Kupriyanova and Rouse 2008 ). However, principally invertebrates appear to lack any tissue that is biochemically or morphologically identical
with vertebrate cellular cartilage (Cattell et al. 2011 ). Moreover, “comprehensive
analysis of gene expression in amphioxus, a basal chordate, suggests that no single
invertebrate cell type coexpresses all, or even most, of the genes needed to drive
cellular cartilage formation” (Cattell et al. 2011 ). The hemichordate Saccoglossus
bromophenolosus possess so called acellular cartilage. This cell-free cartilage is
secreted by pharyngeal endodermal cells. It was proposed that this kind of endodermal