The small spaces in cartilage that house chondrocytes are called Lacunae.

The small spaces in cartilage that house chondrocytes are called Lacunae.

• A. Central canal
• B. Canaliculi
• C. Volkman's canal
• D. Lacunae

Answer: (D)

In cartilage, chondrocytes sit in tiny cavities called lacunae. These lacunae are small pockets within the cartilage matrix that house each chondrocyte, keeping the cell embedded in the tissue while still allowing it to function and exchange nutrients by diffusion through the matrix. Because cartilage is avascular, nutrients reach cells by diffusion, and the lacuna provides a stable space for the chondrocyte to reside. The other terms come from bone anatomy: a central canal is the main passage inside an osteon that carries blood vessels; canaliculi are tiny channels that connect lacunae in bone to each other for nutrient exchange; Volkman's canal (perforating canal) links osteons together. Distinguishing cartilage from bone helps clarify why the correct term for the spaces housing chondrocytes is lacunae.

In cartilage, chondrocytes sit in tiny cavities called lacunae. These lacunae are small pockets within the cartilage matrix that house each chondrocyte, keeping the cell embedded in the tissue while still allowing it to function and exchange nutrients by diffusion through the matrix. Because cartilage is avascular, nutrients reach cells by diffusion, and the lacuna provides a stable space for the chondrocyte to reside.

The other terms come from bone anatomy: a central canal is the main passage inside an osteon that carries blood vessels; canaliculi are tiny channels that connect lacunae in bone to each other for nutrient exchange; Volkman's canal (perforating canal) links osteons together. Distinguishing cartilage from bone helps clarify why the correct term for the spaces housing chondrocytes is lacunae.