Chondrification is the process by which mesenchymal tissue is transformed into cartilage, a flexible connective tissue. This process is crucial during embryonic development, particularly in the formation of the skeletal system. It involves the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into chondrocytes, which then produce the extracellular matrix that characterizes cartilage. Chondrification plays a vital role in the development of bones through endochondral ossification, where cartilage is eventually replaced by bone.