text: what is the differance between ligament and cartilage?   a ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibres. ligaments connect bones to other bones to form a joint.  cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. cartilage is composed of cells called chondrocytes which are dispersed in a firm gel-like ground substance, called the matrix. cartilage is avascular (contains no blood vessels) and nutrients are diffused through the matrix. cartilage is found in the joints, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, in the throat and between intervertebral disks. there are three main types of cartilage: hyaline, elastic and fibrocartilage. the main purpose of cartilage is to provide a framework upon which bone deposition could begin.