What covers the surfaces of bones at joints to facilitate movement?

The correct response highlights the role of articular cartilage, which is a smooth, glossy tissue that coats the surfaces of bones where they come together to form joints. This specialized cartilage plays a crucial role in facilitating movement by providing a frictionless surface that allows bones to glide over one another efficiently during joint motion.

Articular cartilage also serves to absorb shock and distribute loads during weight-bearing activities, contributing to the overall stability and functionality of joints. It is essential for maintaining joint health and ensuring that movements such as bending, stretching, and rotation can occur with minimal wear and tear on the bone surfaces involved.

In contrast, other types of cartilage, such as hyaline cartilage, which composes the structure of the nose and the tracheal rings, and fibrocartilage, found in intervertebral discs and the knee menisci, have different properties and functions that do not specifically pertain to the covering surface at joints. Synovial fluid, while important for lubrication and reducing friction in the joint space, is a fluid that exists within the joint cavity and does not cover the bone surfaces directly.