Bones & Skeletal Tissues

Flashcards covering key concepts on bones and skeletal tissues based on lecture notes.

What is the initial composition of the human skeleton?

The human skeleton is initially made up of cartilages and fibrous membranes.

What are the major types of cartilage?

The three types of cartilage are hyaline, elastic, and fibrocartilage.

What is the function of the perichondrium?

The perichondrium surrounds cartilage, providing reinforcement and containing blood vessels that nourish cartilage cells.

What are the functions of bones?

Bones provide support, protection, anchorage, mineral storage, blood cell formation, hormone production, and triglyceride storage.

How does cartilage grow?

Cartilage grows through appositional growth (growth outward) and interstitial growth (growth from within).

What distinguishes cartilage from bone?

Cartilage is surrounded by perichondrium, has no blood vessels or nerves, and has a flexible extracellular matrix, while bone is surrounded by periosteum, has blood vessels and nerves, and has a rigid extracellular matrix.

What are the two groups of bones in the human skeleton?

The human skeleton is divided into the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton.

What is a long bone?

A long bone is considerably longer than it is wide, with a cylindrical shaft and two distinct ends.

What is the role of the diaphysis in a long bone?

The diaphysis is the tubular shaft made of compact bone that surrounds the central medullary cavity.

What covers the joint surfaces of the epiphyses?

The joint surfaces of the epiphyses are covered by a thin layer of articular (hyaline) cartilage.

What cells are found in the periosteum?

The periosteum contains osteoprogenitor cells, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts.

What is the function of the endosteum?

The endosteum covers internal bone surfaces and contains the same cell types as the inner layer of the periosteum.

What is the epiphyseal plate?

The epiphyseal plate, or growth plate, is a disc of hyaline cartilage that grows during childhood to lengthen the bone.