Figure 8: Hypothesis on the development and maturation of the collagen type II (coll II) arrangement in the RT. A: Initially, Chondrocytes (chcy) secrete collagen type II into their direct surroundings. B: The fibrils continuously form a fibre network (illustration corresponds to Figure 3E). C: With increasing collagen type II secretion, vertical fibre strands arrange and make up the bulk of the ECM fibres (illustration corresponds to Figure 3A). The previous network (of stage B) remains at least in parts but becomes quantitatively insignificant.