Which cartilage is associated with the first pharyngeal arch?

• A. Meckel's cartilage
• B. Reichert's cartilage
• C. Hyoid cartilage
• D. Auricular cartilage

Answer: (A)

Meckel's cartilage is the structure associated with the first pharyngeal arch. It serves as the initial cartilaginous template for parts of the jaw and the middle ear. In development, its dorsal portion forms the malleus and incus, the small ear bones, while remnants contribute to nearby jaw-supporting structures such as the sphenomandibular ligament. The second arch has Reichert's cartilage, which gives rise to the stapes, styloid process, stylohyoid ligament, and parts of the hyoid; the hyoid and auricular regions derive from multiple arches, not a single cartilage like Meckel's. So the best match for the first arch is Meckel's cartilage.