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Bones


In compact bone the microscopic units are arranged in tightly packed parallel columns with very little space intervening (10% porosity), creating the illusion of a solid mass. This type of bone forms the outer shell of the skeletal elements and thus often is referred to as cortical bone. Cortical bone provides the strength to resist weight-bearing forces in the long bone. In contrast, spongy bone is composed of irregularly branching trabecular (struts or plates) surrounded by a great deal of space (50-90% porosity). Spongy bone is located in the epiphyseal ends of long bones and predominates in short and irregular bones of the skeleton. The open array of spicules/trabeculae serves to distribute forces from the joint surface to the diaphyseal cortex and permit a certain degree of deformation for shock and absorption.
             The composition of bone consists of cells including osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts, bone lining cells, the extracellular matrix, and the periosteum and endosteum. Osteoblasts are derived from osteoprogenitor cells, which are like stem cells for the bone, which are mesenchymal in origin. The fully differentiated osteoblasts produce and secrete the organic components or proteins of the matrix (collagens, proteoglycans, and glycoproteins) called osteoid. Since these are gene products, they need protein producing machinery to complete their function. Once the cell is surrounded by osteoid, the matrix mineralizes (the exact trigger for mineralization is still under investigation) and the osteoblast advances to the next maturity level, the osteocyte. They initiate mineralization of osteoid material, possibly by modulating electrolyte fluxes between the extracellular fluid volume and osseous fluid. Osteoblasts are in contact with one another and with mature osteocytes through cellular processes. Contact is maintained following mineralization. Histologically, osteoblasts appear basophilic due to the high concentration of rough endoplasmic reticulum.


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