Cartilage

Part of the skeleton which are not as hard as the bones and which can be bent are known as Cartilages.

• Cartilage is a firm but flexible material found at some places in the skeleton.
• Cartilage is much softer than bone.
• Cartilage can be bent without breaking.
• Cartilage is a kind of softer and elastic bone.

Cartilage is present in the following places in our body:

• In the pinnae of ears (upper part of ears).
• Found at the end of nose.
• Found on the end of bones where they meet one another at a joint.
• Present between the vertebrae of backbone.

For Example:

In the pinnae of ears(Upper part of ears)

Upper part of the ear which is not as soft as the ear lobe(lower part) and not as hard as the bone. The Upper part of the ear is known as pinna which contains cartilage. Cartilage gives support and shape to the ear. Cartilage is flexible that is why we can bend the pinna of our ear freely, without any danger of breaking.

Bones and Cartilages form the skeleton of the Human Body:

The main difference between bone and cartilage is that bone is a hard and rigid tissue, whereas the cartilage is a soft, elastic and flexible tissue.