BONE

Bone (osseous) is specialized connective

tissue that has the strength of cast iron and
lightness of pinewood. Living bone is not
dry, brittle or dead. It is a moist changing,
productive tissue that is continually
resorbed, reformed and remodeled.
The 206 named bones of the human
skeleton are divided into two groups: axial
and appendicular.
axial skeleton
forms the long axis of the body and
includes the bones of the skull,
vertebral column, and rib cage

Generally speaking these bones

protect, support, or carry other body
parts.
appendicular skeleton
consists of the bones of the upper and
lower limbs and the girdles (shoulder
bones and hip bones) that attach the
limbs to the axial.
Functions of Bones
Our bones
functions:

perform

seven

important

Support. Bones provide a framework

that supports the body and cradles its
soft organs. For example, bones of
lower limbs act as pillars to support
the body trunk when we stand, and
the rib cage supports the thoracic
wall.
Protection. The fused bones of the
skull protect the brain. The vertebrae
surround the spinal cord, and the rib
cage helps protect the vital organs of
the thorax.
Movement. Skeletal muscles, which
attach to bones by tendons, use
bones as levers to move the body and
its parts. As a result, we can walk,
grasp objects, and breathe. The
design of joints determines the types
of movement possible.

Mineral
and
growth
factor
storage. Bone is a reservoir for
minerals, most importantly calcium
and phosphate. The stored minerals
are released into the bloodstream in
their ionic form as needed for
distribution to all parts of the body.
Indeed, deposits and withdrawals
of minerals to and from the bones go
on almost continuously. Additionally,
mineralized
bone
matrix
stores
important growth factors.
Blood cell formation. Most blood
cell formation, or hematopoiesis
(hem0ah-to-poi-e9sis), occurs in the
red marrow cavities of certain bones.
Triglyceride (fat) storage. Fat, a
source of energy for the body, is
stored in bone cavities.
Hormone
production.
Bones
produce osteocalcin, a hormone
which not only helps regulate bone
formation, but also protects against
obesity, glucose intolerance, and
diabetes mellitus.

Shapes of bone
Long bone
are called long as its length is
greater than its width. The most
obvious long bones are in the arm
and leg. They act as levers that
pulled by contraction of muscles.
Short bones
are about equal in length, width and
thickness, which are shaped with
regular orientation. They occur in the
wrist and ankle.
Flat bones
are thin or curved more often they
are flat. This includes ribs, scapulae,
sternum and bone of cranium.
Irregular bones
they do not fit neatly into any other
category.
Examples
are
the
vertebral, facial, and hipbone.
Sesamoid bone

are small bones embedded with in

certain tendons, the fibrous cord

that connects muscle to bones.

Typical sesamoid bones are
patella and pisiform carpal bone,
which are in the tendon of
quadriceps femuris and flexor
carp ulnaris muscle respectively.
Accessory bones
are most commonly found in the
feet. They usually occur in the
developing bone and do not fuse
completely. They look like extra
bones or broken on X-ray. Sutural
(wormian) bones are examples of
accessory bones.
Types of bones (Source: Elaine n.
Lacunae (Little
spaces) that houses
osteocytes (bone cells) are contained in
lamella.

Radiating from each lacuna are tiny

canaliculi containing the slender extensions
of the osteocytes where nutrients and
wastes can pass to and from central canal.
Spongy (cancellous)

Bone tissue Is in the form of an open

interlaced
pattern that withstands maximum
MARIEB, (2000), Essentials of human
stress
and
supports in shifting stress.
anatomy and physiology, Addison

Trabeculae
are tiny spikes of bone tissue
welsey longman inc., San Francisco, 6th
surrounded by bone matrix that has
Ed)
calcified.
Types of bone
Gross anatomy of a typical long bone
Compact bone
tissue forms the outer sheet of a bone. It is In adults it have:
very hard and dense. It appears to naked
Diaphysis
eye to be solid but not.

the tubular shaft, hallow cylindrical with

Compact bone tissue contains cylinders of
walls of compact bone tissue. The center of
calcified bone known as osteons (Haversion
the cylinder is the medullary cavity, which is
system).
filled with marrow.
Osteons are made up of concentric layers
Epiphysis
called lamellae, which are arranged

is roughly spherical end of the bone. It is

seemingly in wider and wider drinking
wider than the shaft. Flat and irregular
straws.
bones of the trunk and limbs have many
In the center of the osteons are central
epiphysis and the long bones of the finger
canals (haversion canal) , which are
and toe have only one epiphysis.
longitudinal canals that contains blood
Metaphysis
vessels, nerves and lymphatic vessels.

is the part separating diaphysis from

Central canals, usually have branches called
epiphysis. It is made up of epiphyseal
perforating canals /valkmanns canal that
plate and adjacent bony trabeculae of
run at right angle to central canal extending
cancellous bone tissue.
the system of nerves and vessels out ward
Epiphyseal plate
to periosteum and to endosteum.

is a
thick
plate of
hyaline

cartilage,
which
provides
the
Cells of Bone Tissue
framework of synthesis of the
cancellous
bone
tissue
within Bone contain five types of cells
metaphysis.
The medullary cavity running through Osteogenic (osteoprogenitor) cells
the length of the diaphysis contains
these are small spindle shaped cell. They
Yellow marrow
found mostly in the deepest layer of
The porous latticework of the spongy
periosteum and endosteum. They have
epiphyses is filled with red bone marrow.
high mitotic potential and can be
The red marrow also known as myeloid
transformed into bone forming cells
tissue
(osteoblasts).

Osteoblasts
Endosteum is the lining the medullary
are found in the growing portion of bone
cavity of compact bone tissue and
including periosteum. They are able to
covering the trabeculae of spongy bone
synthesize and secrete un-mineralized
tissue.
ground substance, act as pump cell to
Periosteum: it is covering the outer
move calcium and phosphate in and out of
surface of the bone. It is absent at joints
bone tissue.
and replaced by articular cartilage.
Osteocytes

are the main cell of fully developed bones.

are multinuclear giant cell, which are

They have a cell body that occupies a
found where bone is resorbed during its
lacuna. Osteocytes are derived from
normal growth. Osteoclasts are derived
osteoblasts.
They
together
with
from white blood cells called monocytes.
osteoclasts play an important role of Bone - lining cells
are found on the surface of most bones in
homeostasis by helping to release
the adult skeleton. They are believed to be
calcium.
derived from osteoblast that ceases their
Osteoclasts
physiological activity.