BUILDING AND MAINTAINING THE SKELETON Flashcards
what are the functions of bones?
to protect organs, to provide support and rigidity to limbs, haematopoiesis (marrow), storage of minerals, movements, endocrine regulation
where are the bones of the head derived from embryologically?
neural crest
where are the bones of the body derived from embryologically?
the mesoderm
where do we find somites?
either side of the developing neural tube in the developing embryo
what are somites?
blocks of mesoderm that give rise to the cells that form the vertebrae, ribs, the dermis of the dorsal skin, the skeletal muscles of the back, and the skeletal muscles of the body wall and limbs.
what are neural crest cells?
multipotent cells at the border of the neural plate that migrate throughout the embryo and later differentiate into multiple cell types
how is the shape of the vertebrae determined?
hox genes control regional development of the spine and they control development of limbs and structures throughout the body
describe when and how the limbs form?
weeks 4-5
The apical ectodermal ridge which contains a set of cells which release chemical signals which interact with signals from the zone of polarising activity and help with patterning- they determine segments and appropriate cartilaginous precursors for bones
where do we find the apical ectodermal ridge?
the distal most part of the limb bud is
what is ossification?
the process of developing bones
what is endochondral ossification?
The process by which growing cartilage is systematically replaced by bone to form the growing skeleton.
describe the difference between how young and old cartilage grows?
young cartilage grows interstitially whilst old cartilage tends to grow from the outside
why do blood vessels invade cartilage when it gets to a certain size?
as diffusion can no longer provide the nutrients that the chondrocytes need
where are the 2 ossification centres?
how are they separated?
the diaphysis and the epiphysis
by the epiphyseal growth plate
describe simply how bone grows?
bone is deposited everywhere within the cartilage but is remodelled to remove bone from the outside and put on the outside to form the medullary cavity
what are the 6 layers of the epiphyseal plate called?
zone of reserve cartilage zone of proliferation zone of maturation zone of hypertrophy zone of cartilage degeneration oesteogenic zone
what is within the zone of reserve cartilage in the epiphyseal plate?
a thick layer of small, randomly orientated chondrocytes
what is within the zone of proliferation in the epiphyseal plate?
cartilaginous cells in stacks. These stacks of cells are the ones driving the two ossification centres apart
what happens in the zone of hypertrophy in the epiphyseal plate?
chondrocytes increase in size and minerals begin to deposit into the matrix
what happens in the zone of cartilage degeneration in the epithyseal plate?
the chondrocytes are now far from blood vessels and are less able to gain nutrients, so they die leaving behind a fragmented calcified matrix
what happens in the osteogenic zone of the epiphyseal plate?
Osteoprogenitor cells and blood vessels from the periosteum invade the fragmented calcified matrix area, proliferate and differentiate into osteoblasts which start to lay down bone matrix.
what is the epiphysis?
the end part of a long bone, initially growing separately from the shaft.
what is the physis?
the epiphyseal plate
what is the metaphysis?
The metaphysis is the neck portion of a long bone between the epiphysis and the diaphysis. It contains the epiphyseal growth plate
what is the diaphysis?
the shaft or central part of a long bone
what is all connective tissue comprised of?
cells, fibres and ground substance
describe the process of chondroblasts becoming chondrocytes?
chondroblasts secrete the extracellular matrix around them and they eventually become trapped in lacunae. they become mature chondrocytes which maintain the cartilage around them.
what is the diaphysis of a bone composed of?
compact bone with a central medullary canal containing fatty yellow bone marrow
what is the epiphysis of a bone composed of?
an outer covering of compact bone with cancellous (spongy) bone inside
why is cartilage never very thick relative to bone?
as they have no blood vessels so rely on diffusion