EM of a chondrocyte in hyaline cartilage of the trachea. The eccentrically placed nucleus (Nu) has euchromatin and patches of heterochromatin and is surrounded by a well-defined nuclear envelope. The cytoplasm is replete with organelles involved in synthesis and secretion. RER and a well-developed Golgi complex (GC) are prominent. The RER consists of parallel arrays of narrow cisternae studded with ribosomes. Mitochondria (Mi) lie scattered among elements of the RER. The surrounding matrix contains a meshwork of type II collagen fibrils. 35,000×. (Courtesy of Dr. B. J. Crawford)