Cartilage serves many functions, but when it comes to working you need to know that it lines you joints and allows bones to slide over one another. So cartilage reduces friction and prevents damage to the joint. It also act as a shock absorber helping to decrease the force of impact on bones. Think of it like a cushion. You want to take care of your cartilage because this tough fiber is avascular, meaning it doesn't have blood flow so when it is injured it take a long time to heal. Not only is it tough but it is also flexible and elastic and is considered a connective tissue, since you find it where bones connect.

Cartilage also forms part of the structure of the skeleton in the ribs, where it joins them to the breastbone (aka the sternum), and it is found in the tip of the nose as well in the external ear.