Chondrocyte

Chondrocyte
Light micrograph of undecalcified hyaline cartilage showing its chondrocytes and organelles, lacunae and matrix.
Details
LocationCartilage
FunctionProduce and maintain cartilage matrix
Identifiers
Latinchondrocytus
MeSHD019902
THH2.00.03.5.00003
FMA66782
Anatomical terms of microanatomy

Chondrocytes (/ˈkɒndrəst, -dr-/,[1] from Greek χόνδρος (chondros) 'cartilage' and κύτος (kytos) 'cell') are the only cells found in healthy cartilage. They produce and maintain the cartilaginous matrix, which consists mainly of collagen and proteoglycans. Although the word chondroblast is commonly used to describe an immature chondrocyte, the term is imprecise, since the progenitor of chondrocytes (which are mesenchymal stem cells) can differentiate into various cell types, including osteoblasts.

  1. ^ "Chondrocyte". Lexico.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019.