Bone is a supportive connective tissue

Bone functions:
Support
Storage of minerals: calcium salt; 98% of body calcium is in bones
Blood cell production: bone marrow produces RBCs, WBCs, and platelets
Protection
Leverage: muscle pull bone

Structure of bone:
Components:
Specialized cells
Extracellular matrix
Organic component:
Collagen fibers:
a. Form the organic matrix of bone known as osteoid.
b. Make up 1/3 of bone matrix
c. Very resistant to stretch
d. Contribute to tensile strength (for twisting)
e. Collagen fibers lay along the tensional force lines which
provide tensile strength

Hydroxyapatite crystals bind to collagen fibers, make bone very

strong
Inorganic component

2/3 of bone weight is made of calcium salts

Calcium phosphate: main Ca salt
Hydroxyapatite crystals
Very resistant to compression forces ( provide compressional
strength)
Incorporate other ions (Mg, Na, K, CO3)
Other ions : strontium, uranium, plutonium, lead, heavy metals
Radio active substances may cause osteogenic sarcoma (bone
cancer)
Hydroxyapatite does not precipitate in the Extra Cellular Fluid
despite high concentration of Calcium and Phosphate ions
Inhibitors: pyrophosphate prevent precipitations of hydroxyapatite
crystals in locations other than bone.
Bone Cells:
Osteocytes: mature bone cells
Maintain and monitor protein and mineral content of bone tissue.
Located within small chambers called lacunae
Osteoblast: immature, active cells
Found on inner and outer surface of a bone
Produce the organic component of bone, osteoid.
Responsible for osteogenesis (process of making new bone)
 Compact and Spongy Bone

2 types of osseous tissues:

Compact bone: dense and solid tissue.
Eg: diaphysis (shaft) of long bone
Spongy bone: airy tissue made up interconnected struts and plates
of bone tissue.
Eg: epyphyses of long bones
Functional Differences
Compact bone
Generates tremendous strength from end to end.
Made up of osteons
Spongy bone
Creates strength to deal with stress from the side
Made up of trabeculae

Bone Marrow

Loose connective tissue that fills the medullary cavity

Site of hematopoiesis
Yellow marrow is bone marrow dominated by adipocytes in long bone of adults.
Red marrow is bone marrow dominated by immature blood cells and their stem
cells in flat bones of adult (hip bone-ilium) and all bones of infants.

HISTOLOGY of Compact Bone

Made up of many cylindrical structures called osteons (basis functional unit)

Osteons are parallel to the long axis the bone.
Central canal (Haversian canal) is at the center containing blood vessel
Osteon made up of concentric layers called lamellae.
Osteocytes locate in the lacunae.
Canaliculi interconnect osteocytes within lacunae of an osteon, forming a branching
network that reaches the central canal.

HISTOLOGY of Spongy Bone

Arrange in parallel struts or thick branching plated called trabeculae.

Numerous interconnecting spaces
Airy and lighter than compact bone.
Strength in all directions while reducing bone weight
 FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENCES
A long bone divided into 3 regions
Epiphyses, or ends
Filled wit spongy bone that is resistant to forces in multi directions, histologically made up of
trabeculae.
The diaphysis, or shaft
Contains compact bone that resists tension and compression in one direction, histologically
made up of osteon
The metaphysis
Connecting region between the epiphyses and diaphysis.