Bone Structures Flashcards
Load bearing structures of the mammal
Bone structures and cartilage wherever bones articulate with other bones.
Where is cartilage located?
Transition between bone and other connective tissue such as points of insertion of ligaments and tendons.
AND bone and bone articulation
Bones provide
Support, levers for locomotion, and provide protection (cranium for example- protection for the brain delicate tissues)
Also to house haemopoeitic tissues (bone marrow main haemopoietic tissue in adult animals)
Bones also have an important function calcium homeostasis- imp. reservoir of calcium. Maintain constant level of Ca in blood- imp. for funciton of all cells in the body (used to convey signals from cell membrane to the nucleus and other parts of the cell), muscle contractility as well.
Bone classification- 3 main
other ways?
Long bones- major limb bones- humerus, radius, etc
Short bones- vertebrae
Flat bones- skull bones, scapula
Other ways:
Cortical and trabeculae component
Cortical bone is compact.
Trabeculae bone- network of trabeculae or rods and plates- porous network
Periosteum
Dense connective tissue that surrounds bones. Not at articular surfaces. Interupted by tendons and ligaments
Endosteum
All surfaces inside a bone.
Shaft
Diaphysis- comprised of cotrical bone. Cylinder of bone with empty space in the middle with bone marrow
Very end of bone
Epiphysis- thin shell of cortical bone but primarily trabecular bone- shape varies enormously between individual bones and species. But generally rounded
Point at which shaft of the bone gets narrower is called?
Metaphysis- shape varies enormously. Made up of trabecular bone that turns into bone marrow- thin shell of cortical bone gets thicker.
Trabecular bone is normally contained by?
Thin layer of cortical bone
Blood supply to bone
Multiple sources. Bone in a living animal is a dynamic living tissues. Bone is constantly being turned over by cells.
Major source of blood supply: nutrient artery (nutrient foramen) into the bone marrow- branches which pass into cortical bone- (diaphysis)- nutrient artery anastomose as well
Metaphyseal and epiphyseal arteries
Adult animal- arteries anastamose inside the bone.
If you didn’t have anastamose- large areas of bone would just die.
The anastamose does not happen until animals are fully grown, fully mature.
Medullary vein- (medulla is marrow)- veins leave the bone accompanying the nutrient artery accompanying the epiphyseal and metaphyseal.

Growth plate
Made of cartilage- can tell if adult bone or juvenile- not fully matured
How do the bones drain?
Veins leave the bone accompanying the nutrient artery and metaphyseal and epiphyseal vessels
Cortical bone of diaphysis drains to the periosteal veins
Centrifigal blood through the cortical bone of the diaphysis
Draining into the periostial venules
What is bone comprised of?
Connective tissue.
Extracellular matrix
Cellular component
What are the two components of the bone matrix?
Organic (type I collagen- fibres of type I which is THICK collagen fibres, glycoproteins mixed in, many of them are there because they have the capacity to bind Ca2+
inorganic component (mineral- hydroxyappetite- calcium and phosphate)
Both proteinaceous and mineral arranged in layers. Lamella bone- mature bone in which the bone matrix is arranged in layers.
When first formed in an embryo or in pathological process- they are randomly arranged, collagen not parallel- less organization. THIS IS CALLED WOVEN BONE.
Osteoblasts
Osteoblasts- cuboidal cells that have the function of synthesizing and secreting bone matrix
Situation where there is mature bone and they form lamilla bone- they secrete bone matrix on which they are adherent to.
Collagen type I and calcium binding proteins- called ostoid (?)
Within a few days ostioid is mineralized.
Successive layers of bone matrix deposited on bone surfaces. When osteoblasts mature they differentiate into osteocytes and are embedded into matrix.

Osteocytes
A bit shrunken compared to osteoblasts
Osteoblasts- Substantial RER because they are actively synthesizing proteins to secrete- as they diff. into osteocytes they become less active in synthesis and they shrink- less cytoplasm. But what they have is organized into multiple processes which extend out into channels in the bone called cuniliculi– the osteocytes located in the space within the bone called a lacuna. Extending out are multiple cuniliculi (sp)- osteocyte processes make contact with other osteocytes and form gap junctions. With osteoblasts as well.
Osteocytes are thought to transmit signals within the bone.
Bones are responsive to mechanical loading and they adapt their structure to forces they are exposed to.
Bone lining cells
Bone surfaces in general are covered with one type of cell or another. Active cell formation then osteoblasts. Esp in adult animals- there are few osteoblasts. Vast majority are covered in bone lining cells- capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts
Osteoclasts
Small proportion. Changes depending on level of bone turnover taking place.
Multinucleate
Capacity to resorb bone (dissolve bone matrix)
Old bone with small cracks in it can be removed and replaced by new bone.
They are also important in new growth- keep removing bone on inside so marrow cavity can expand.
They do that by adheringt o bone surfaces by ceiling zone- forms a ring around the outside between the osteoclasts and the bone surface- seals off an microenvironment. Described as apical surface- the osteoclasts secrete hydrogen ions to acidify the microenvironment which provides the right conditions for lysosomal enzymes secreted into micro environment. These enzymes are proteolytic break down collagen fibres and the bone.
Osteoclasts are the only cells taht can resorb bone and degrade the bone matrix.
Where is bone marrow? What is it made up of?
Diaphysis hollow cylinder.
Haemopoeitic tissue.
Also adipose tissue
Trabecular bone
No blood vessels, except some large species because they are actually really thick and need it. Generally gets it blood supply from vessels from the marrow supply.
How is trabecular bone structured?
Network of plates and rods
Homogenous pink stain- bone tissue (osteocytes scattered) amongst bone marrow
Bone in 3D- lumbar vertebrae- microcomputertomography- mouse bone- you can see the plate like structures connected by rod like structures- connected

Cortical bone- structure
Osteon (Haversian system)- longitudinal cylinders of bone tissues consisting concentric bone lamilae arranged around central canal containing a blood vessel (arteriole and venule) AND nerve branches.
(note the transverse canals connecting vessels- Volkmann’s canals)
**Concentric layers of collagen fibres surrounding Haversian canal- arranged at right angles to each other– enormous strength of osteons.
Spider like structures- osteocyte lacuni. Cuniliculi extending out from them- osteocytes to osteocytes and their gap junctions.
Osteons are different sizes. Dark profile. Volkman’s canal connecting two Haversian canal. You can also see the tiny cuniliculi.

Cortical bone
Dense, compact. You can see some blood vessels and osteocytes. You can also see osteoblasts if immature (or damaged). Some trabecular bone scattered amongst bone marrow.














































































