American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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Which type of collagen is primarily found in cartilage and the vitreous body?

  1. Type 1 collagen

  2. Type 2 collagen

  3. Type 3 collagen

  4. Type 4 collagen

The correct answer is: Type 2 collagen

Type 2 collagen is primarily found in cartilage and the vitreous body. This collagen type is essential for providing structure and resilience to tissues that undergo compressive stress, such as in articular cartilage, the intervertebral discs, and the vitreous humor of the eye. In cartilage, type 2 collagen forms a network that aids in trapping water and providing the necessary mechanical properties to withstand loading forces. The vitreous body, which is the gel-like substance filling the eye, also relies on type 2 collagen for maintaining its shape and structural support. This characteristic of type 2 collagen makes it distinct from other types of collagen, which serve different functions in the body’s connective tissues. For instance, type 1 collagen is mainly found in bone and tendons, type 3 is typically present in skin and blood vessels, and type 4 collagen is a key component of basement membranes.