Bones Flashcards
What type of tissue is bone?
A specialised form of connective tissue
What are the cellular components of bone?
- Osteoblasts
- Osteocytes
- Osteoclasts
What is the function of osteoblasts?
- They synthesise unmineralised extracellular matrix called osteoid which will later be mineralised to form bone
What are osteocytes and what is their function?
- They are formed when osteoblasts become trapped in mineralised osteoid
- They are situated between lamellae in lacunae
- They regulate the deposition of minerals in the bone matrix
- They regulate bone remodelling by sensing mechanical workload and triggering osteoblasts or osteoclasts
What are osteoclasts and what is their function?
- Derived from monocytes and resorb (break it down) bone by releasing H+ ions and lysosomal enzymes
- Large and multinucleated
What is the extracellular matrix in bone?
- Molecules that provide biochemical and structural support to the cells
- Highly specialised - collagen and other proteins present plus mineral salts
- Matrix is organised into numerous thin layers known as lamellae
What makes the collagen in bone especially strong and rigid?
- Calcium hydroxyapatite crystals associate with the collagen fibres to strengthen them
What is immature (primary) bone?
- appears in embryonic development and fracture repair
- consists of osteoid and randomly arranged collagen fibres
- temporary structure as remodelling occurs to form mature bone
- resorption canals are the starting point of remodelling
What is mature (secondary) bone?
- bone of adult skeleton
- consists of highly organised sheets of mineralised osteoid
- organisation makes it stronger than immature bone
- can be further divided into 2 types - compact and spongy
What is peristeum?
An outer layer of connective tissue that covers the external surface of bone
What is endosteum?
A connective tissue that lines cavities within the bone
What is compact bone?
Dense and rigid outer layer of bone
What is spongy bone?
- Also known as cancellous bone
- Type of bone found in inner layers - softer and lighter than compact bone
How is compact bone organised?
- Layers of collagen fibres and associated calcium (lamellae) are organised in concentric circles where the collagen fibres within each layer are at a 45 degree angle to those in the next layer
- Lamellae surround a vertical Haversian canal
- Osteocytes located between lamellae within cavities known as lacunae
What are Haversian canals?
Vertical canals at centre of lamellae in osteon of compact bone where bundles of BV’s, LV’s, and nerve fibres are found
What are Volkmann’s canals?
Horizontal structures that connect to the Haverisan canals and contain smaller BV’s, LV’s, & nerve fibres
What is an osteon?
Refers to the functional unit of compact bone which is comprised of the lamellae organised in concentric circles surrounding a Haversian canal and containing osteocytes
How are osteocytes connected to one another?
Osteocytes sit in cavities known as lacunae and lacunae are interconnected by series of tunnels that join osteocytes of different levels together and then with the Haversian canal to allow for the movement of ions and nutrients across bone
How is spongy bone organised?
Matrix consists of a 3D network of fine columns that crosslink to form trabeculae which produces light porous bone with large spaces
NO CANALS
What is the importance of the lightness of spongy bone?
Allows the body to move - if we only had compact bone then it would be too heavy to move
What is the structure of peristeum?
- Attaches to bone by collagen fibres
- Has 2 layers
- Outer later is dense collagenous connective tissue
- Inner layer is loosely arranged and contains osteoprogenitor cells
What are osteoprogenitor cells?
Cells that differentiate into osteoblasts and are present in the inner layer of peristeum where they form the osteogenic layer close to bone
What is ossification?
Formation of bone
What are the 2 types of ossification?
Endochondral ossification
Intra-membranous ossification
Both form spongy bone that is later organised to form compact bone
What is endochondral ossification?
- Formation of long bones from a cartilage template (replace the cartilage)
- Continued lengthening at epiphyseal plates
- Appositional growth occurs which means growth at the edges so is in all directions
What is intra-membranous ossification?
- Formation of bone from clusters of mesenchymal stem cells in centre of bone
- Interstitial growth - growth in middle
- E.g. in flat bone
How is compact bone formed from spongy bone?
- MSC’s in BM convert to osteoblasts that line the recently formed trabeculae
- Osteoblasts lay down osteoid that is then mineralised
- Osteoblasts become trapped in bone tissue and form osteocytes
- Steps 1-3 repeat forming lamellae in concentric circles
- Central MSC’s convert into BV’s, LV’s and nerves - Haversian canal is formed
Why are bones remodelled?
Remodelling maintains strength of bones and is constantly occurring
How are bones remodelled?
- Osteoclasts make a wide tunnel, resorbing bone - known as cutting cone
- Osteoclasts anchor to bone surface and create an acidic micro environment in sealed zone beneath it that dissolves minerals in bone
- Lysosomal enzymes then released that hydrolyse collagen matrix
- Osteoblasts make a smaller tunnel behind forming new osteoid that is mineralised to form bone
What is the cement line?
Where newly formed bone tissue meets unmineralised osteoid