Which term denotes a cartilage cell?

• A. Chondrocyte
• B. Chondrectomy
• C. Chondromalacia
• D. Cervical

Answer: (A)

Cartilage cells are called chondrocytes. The term breaks down into chondro-, meaning cartilage, and -cyte, meaning cell, naming the living cells that maintain cartilage tissue. Chondrocytes live in small spaces called lacunae within the cartilage matrix and are responsible for producing and sustaining the cartilage’s extracellular material. The other terms refer to different ideas: removing cartilage (chondrectomy), a cartilage condition involving softening or damage (chondromalacia), or a anatomical region descriptor (cervical), none of which denote a cartilage cell.