BCT Lab Practical 1 Practice Test 2026 – The Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The region surrounding a chondrocyte lacuna is the territorial matrix. This pericellular layer is rich in sulfated proteoglycans, so it stains more intensely (basophilic) and often looks like a dark ring around each lacuna. That darker, pericellular zone around the cell is what you’d identify as the territorial matrix.

In contrast, the interterritorial matrix sits between lacunae and typically has relatively less proteoglycan content and more collagen, so it stains lighter. The chondrogenic zone refers to areas involved in cartilage formation and differentiation, which isn’t the pericellular ring around a lacuna.