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What are lacunae in cartilage?
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connective tissue
Randomly oriented collagenous fibers of varying size in a thin spread of loose areolar connective tissue (magnified about 370 Γ).
In the context of connective tissue anatomy, lacunae are small, isolated spaces within the cartilage matrix that house chondrocytes.12
These spaces are essential to the growth and maintenance of the tissue:
- Cell Isolation: Chondrocytes reside within these lacunae, where they remain separated from one another by the surrounding gel-like matrix.12
- Interstitial Growth: Young chondrocytes retain the capacity to divide while inside their lacunae. Following division, the resulting daughter cells secrete new matrix between themselves, eventually moving apart into their own separate lacunae.12
- Structural Arrangement: In fibrocartilage, these lacunae are often organized into rows situated between dense bundles of collagen.2
Because cartilage is avascular, the cells within these lacunae rely on the diffusion of nutrients and gaseous metabolites through the aqueous phase of the matrix to survive.12