Anatomy Lab Unit #2 Overview of the Skeleton

Lacunae

small cavities in bone that contain osteocytes

Articular cartilage

covers the surfaces of bones where they come together to form joints

Periosteum

A dense fibrous membrane covering the surface of bones (except at their extremities) and serving as an attachment for tendons and muscles.

Osteoblasts

Bone-forming cells.

Perforating canals

Canals that run at right angles to the long axis of the bone, connecting the vascular and nerve supplies of the periosteum to those of the central canals and medullary cavity; also called Volkmann's canals.

Epiphysis

End of a long bone

Canaliculi

Hairlike canals that connect lacunae to each other and the central canal

Compact bone

Hard, dense bone tissue that is beneath the outer membrane of a bone

Spongy bone

Layer of bone tissue having many small spaces and found just inside the layer of compact bone.

Lamellae

Layers of bone matrix

Trabeculae

Supporting bundles of bony fibers in cancellous (spongy) bone.

Central canal

The hollow center of an osteon, also known as a Haversian canal. The central canal contains blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves. Bone is laid down around the central canal in concentric rings called lamellae.

Osteons

The structural units of mature compact bone are called

Medullary Cavity

cavity within the shaft of the long bones filled with bone marrow

Epiphyseal plate

growth plate

Osteocytes

mature bone cells

Endosteum

membranous lining of the hollow cavity of the bone

Diaphysis

shaft of a long bone

Epiphyseal line

the bony structure that results when the cartilage in the epiphyseal (growth) plate is replaced by bone at about ages 18-21, and bone has stopped growing in length