Long Bones & Bone Tissue

Diaphysis

Shaft of a long bone

Epiphysis

End of a long bone

Endosteum

Tissue that lines the medullary cavity

Periosteum

A dense fibrous membrane covering the surface of bones (except at their extremities) and serving as an attachment for tendons and muscles.

Epiphyseal Plate

Growth plate, made of cartilage, gradually ossifies

Epiphyseal Line

The appearance of this structure signals the end of bone growth

Articular Cartilage

Hyaline cartilage attached to articular bone surfaces

Medullary Cavity (Yellow Marrow)

The center portion of the shaft of a long bone containing the yellow marrow

Compact Bone

Hard, dense bone tissue that is beneath the outer membrane of a bone

Osteon (Haversian System)

Structural unit of compact bone

Central Canal

The hollow center of an osteon, also known as a Haversian canal. The central canal contains blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves. Bone is laid down around the central canal in concentric rings called lamellae.

Transverse (Volksmann's Canal)

Perpendicular to the haversian canals and connect the blood and nerve supply from the periosteum to the central canal

Perforating Fibers (Sharpey's)

Strong fibers that anchor the periosteum to the bone

Lamelle

The many thin layers of compact bone with no spaces

Osteocytes in Lacunae

Mature bone cell (usually trapped in lacunae)

Canaliculi

Hairlike canals that connect lacunae to each other and the central canal

Spongy Bone

A looser, more porous type of bone tissue found at the inner core of the epiphyses in long bones and all other bone types. Spongy gone is filed with red bone marrow, important in blood cell formation.

Trabeculae

The interconnecting tiny arches of bone tissue found in spongy bone are called