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Diagram of a typical long bone showing both cortical (compact) and cancellous (spongy) bone. Haversian canals [i] (sometimes canals of Havers, osteonic canals or central canals) are a series of microscopic tubes in the outermost region of bone called cortical bone. They allow blood vessels and nerves to travel through them to supply the osteocytes.
An osteocyte, an oblate shaped type of bone cell with dendritic processes, is the most commonly found cell in mature bone. It can live as long as the organism itself. [1] The adult human body has about 42 billion of them. [2] Osteocytes do not divide and have an average half life of 25 years. They are derived from osteoprogenitor cells, some of ...
All bones possess larger or smaller foramina (openings) for the entrance of blood-vessels; these are known as the nutrient foramina, and are particularly large in the shafts of the larger long bones, where they lead into a nutrient canal, which extends into the medullary cavity. The nutrient canal (foramen) is directed away from the growing end ...
Diameter of canaliculi in human bone is approximately 200 to 900 nm. [1] In bovine tibia diameter of canaliculi was found to vary from 155 to 844 nm (average 426 nm). [ 2 ] In mice humeri it varies from 80 to 710 nm (average 259 nm), while diameter of osteocytic processes varies from 50 to 410 nm (average 104 nm).
They usually run at obtuse angles to the Haversian canals (which run the length of the bone) and contain anastomosing vessels between haversian capillaries. They were named after German physiologist Alfred Volkmann (1800–1878). The perforating canals, with the blood vessels, provide energy and nourishing elements for osteons.
The nutrient artery (arteria nutricia, or central artery), usually accompanied by one or two nutrient veins, enters the bone through the nutrient foramen, runs obliquely through the cortex, sends branches upward and downward to the bone marrow, which ramify in the endosteum–the vascular membrane lining the medullary cavity–and give twigs to the adjoining canals.
The bone marrow produces the cellular elements of the blood, including platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells. While much information can be gleaned by testing the blood itself (drawn from a vein by phlebotomy ), it is sometimes necessary to examine the source of the blood cells in the bone marrow to obtain more information on ...
Located in the main shaft of a long bone (consisting mostly of compact bone), the medullary cavity has walls composed of spongy bone (cancellous bone) and is lined with a thin, vascular membrane . [1] [2] This area is involved in the formation of red blood cells and white blood cells, and the calcium supply for bird eggshells. The area has been ...