HUMAN BONE STRUCTURE II - LESSON 201
Now in this lesson we will try to learn about the remaining part of structure of the bone. The long, relatively straight main body of a long bone, region of primary ossification which is also known as the shaft or middle region of a long bone is called the diaphysis. The end of a each long bone or the regions of secondary ossification is called an epiphysis. The epiphyseal plate is also known as the growth plate or physis. This plate represents an area of cartilage tissue that is constantly being replaced by new bony tissue as the bone grows. In a long bone, it is a thin disc of hyaline cartilage that is located transversely between the epiphysis and metaphysis. In the long bones of humans, the epiphyseal plate disappears by the age of twenty. The new bone that is responsible for the lengthening of bones during childhood and adolescence if formed by the cartilage cells at the edges of the epiphyseal plate. When the bone achieved its full growth, the plate calcifies and d