The correct answer is a) lacunae. Lacunae are small cavities found in the bone and cartilage tissue where osteocytes and chondrocytes reside, respectively.
Osteocytes are mature bone cells that originate from osteoblasts and are embedded in the bone matrix. They maintain the bone tissue and communicate with other bone cells through tiny channels called canaliculi. Chondrocytes, on the other hand, are the cells found in cartilage and also reside in lacunae.
The other options are not correct:
- b) canaliculi are the small channels that connect lacunae, allowing for communication and nutrient exchange between osteocytes.
- c) perforating canals refer to the channels that run perpendicular to the Haversian canals in bone, helping in the vascularization of bone tissue.
- d) cartilage is the flexible connective tissue that contains chondrocytes, but it does not refer specifically to the spaces housing these cells.