Aravind Kumar Jayasankar

McGill University | McGill · Department of Plant Science

When describing the architecture and ultrastructure of animal skeletons, introductory biology, anatomy and histology textbooks typically focus on the few bone and cartilage types prevalent in humans. In reality, cartilage and bone are far more diverse in the animal kingdom, particularly within fishes (Chondrichthyes and Actinopterygii), where carti...

Sharks and rays have distinctive skeletons among vertebrate animals, consisting primarily of unmineralized cartilage wrapped in a surface tessellation of minute polygonal tiles called tesserae, linked by unmineralized collagenous fibers. The discrete combination of hard and soft tissues is hypothesized to enhance the mechanical performance of tesse...

When describing the architecture and ultrastructure of animal skeletons, introductory biology, anatomy and histology textbooks typically focus on the few bone and cartilage types prevalent in humans. In reality, cartilage and bone are far more diverse in the animal kingdom, particularly within fishes, where cartilage and bone types exist that are c...

Tilings are constructs of repeated shapes covering a surface, common in both manmade and natural structures, but in particular are a defining characteristic of shark and ray skeletons. In these fishes, cartilaginous skeletal elements are wrapped in a surface tessellation, comprised of polygonal mineralized tiles linked by flexible joints, an arrang...

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is a long term disease leading to degeneration of the knee joint and it causes stiffness, pain and swelling. The treatment includes replacement of the damaged knee joint with an implant (Total Knee Replacement). In a conventional knee replacement surgery, the damaged joints are replaced with m...