Final answer:
Chondrocytes, the cells found in cartilage, occupy small chambers called lacunae. This is also true for bone tissue, where osteocytes are situated in lacunae connected by canaliculi for nutrient and waste exchange.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cartilage cells, also known as chondrocytes, occupy small chambers called lacunae. The correct answer to the question 'Cartilage cells occupy small chambers called ______' is A) Lacunae. These chambers are essential for sustaining the chondrocytes, since cartilaginous tissue is avascular, which means it does not have its own blood supply.
Nutrients must diffuse through the extracellular matrix to reach the chondrocytes within the lacunae. Again, in bone tissue, osteocytes reside in lacunae, and nutrients and wastes are exchanged through tiny canals called canaliculi, connecting various lacunae and ultimately leading to the central canal.