Chondrocyte with ECM. Quick-frozen, non-fixed, freeze-etched electron micrograph of a 150 day gestation fetal bovine ear chondrocyte surrounded by ECM. The cell is in the lower left area of the photograph and the matrix is in the upper right. Notice the very close association of the matrix with the cell. The plasma membrane of the cell is highly convoluted with numerous projections and infoldings. Nuclear pores are evident on the nuclear membrane, which is continuous with the cytoplasmic membrane system. The extracellular matrix consists of a finely woven meshwork that adjoins the cell membrane and is continuous throughout the extracellular space.⁹