Articular cartilage is made up of cells, which are living. Therefore, cartilage is "living" as well; it can grow and age. If we supply the cells with sufficient nutrients, they can split and grow normally. However, we often obtain very few of the nutrients required for the growth of cartilage cells in our daily diet. This causes the cell growth rate to usually be slower than the rate of cell aging and joint wear, which leads to degenerative arthritis, resulting in symptoms such as pain, effusion, or deformation.