Library · Histology
Bone Histology
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Bone histology shows two ways of organizing the same tissue. In compact bone, the basic unit is the osteon. Picture small tubes built from concentric rings of calcified matrix called lamellae.
Spongy bone has a different architecture. Instead of concentric tubes, it forms a network of struts called trabeculae. Within that network, osteocytes, the mature bone cells, occupy small spaces called lacunae.
In brief
In compact bone, the microscopic unit is the osteon, which consists of concentric rings of calcified matrix called lamellae.
In spongy bone, osteocytes sit in spaces called lacunae within a network of trabeculae rather than being arranged in concentric osteons.
Compact bone resembles tubes built from concentric rings, while spongy bone resembles a three-dimensional network of supporting struts with osteocytes housed in small lacunae.
Sources (1)
- OpenStax, Rice University6.3 Bone Structure, Anatomy and Physiology 2ePublished
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