Lacuna \( \qquad \) Lamellae Central canal Canaliculi

Did you know that the term "lacuna" comes from Latin, meaning "a hollow" or "a gap"? In bone tissue, lacunae are small cavities that house osteocytes, the mature bone cells. These nifty little spaces allow the osteocytes to communicate with each other and receive nutrients through the canaliculi, which are tiny channels that link the lacunae together and to the central canal. Lamellae, on the other hand, are the thin layers of bone matrix that make up the structure of compact bone. Picture this as the ever-important team layers that provide strength and support to our skeletal structure! Lamellae can also be found in other structures such as plant cell walls, showing just how diverse this layered approach to biology can be across different life forms.