Definition

Verb: * To turn into cartilage; to undergo the biological process of becoming cartilage tissue.

Usage

• This is a technical, scientific term used primarily in biology and medicine, specifically in the fields of embryology and histology (the study of tissues).
• It describes a specific cellular differentiation process where precursor cells (like mesenchymal cells) transform and begin to produce the matrix characteristic of cartilage.

Examples

• "During fetal development, parts of the skeleton initially chondrify before ossifying into bone."
• "The researchers observed the mesenchymal tissue chondrify under the influence of specific growth factors in the lab."
• "If the tissue chondrifies improperly, it can lead to skeletal abnormalities."

Advanced Usage

• The process is called chondrification.
• The adjective form is chondrified, used to describe tissue that has become cartilage.
  • Example: "The chondrified model of the bone was used for the study."

Variants and Related Words

• Chondrification (noun): The process of turning into cartilage.
• Chondrified (adjective): Having been converted into cartilage.
• Chondrocyte (noun): A cell found in healthy cartilage.
• Chondro- (prefix): A prefix meaning "cartilage," used in many medical terms (e.g., chondropathy, chondrogenesis).

Synonyms

• Cartilaginize (less common, technical synonym)

Antonyms

• Ossify: To turn into bone.
• Resorb: To break down and be absorbed by the body.

Verb

1. turn into cartilage
   • The tissue chondrifies