Long bones are made up of various parts which are namely; the diaphysis, the metaphysis and the epiphysis. Diaphysis is the shaft of the bones as it runs from the distal end of the bone to the proximal end and vice versa. Epiphysis on the other hand refers to the widest part of the bone at each end of the bone. It is this section that accommodates the joints. The intersection point of both the diaphysis and epiphysis is referred to as the metaphysis. The metaphysis is very important for growth as it is where the growth plate is situated (OpenStax, 2013). The metaphysis is made up of hyaline cartilage which helps in growth. Cessation of growth results from ossification of the hyaline cartilage in the first place. The hollow part of the long bones is referred to as the medullary cavity. It is where the bone marrow as well as blood vessels that supply the bone with nutrients are found. The Surface of the long bone is covered by a small membranes called the periosteum which protects and provides nutrients to the bone (OpenStax, 2013). Long bones are important in that they form the biggest part of the skeleton and thus play an important role in the movement and functioning of human beings.
The bone is made up of two main types of cells; the osteoblasts and the osteoclasts. Osteoblasts are the cells that are involved in bone formation through deposition of calcium and the matrix while osteoclasts are the cells that are involved in bone resorption. Bone resorption is important because it helps the calcium levels of the blood within the normal limits (OpenStax, 2013). It also helps in maintaining a healthy bone by resorption of bone areas that show weakness such as micro fractures in order to prompt fresh bone deposition by the osteoblasts.
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References
OpenStax. (2013, March 6). 6.3 Bone Structure. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/6-3-bone-structure/
