Cross-section of a long bone showing both spongy and compact osseous tissue

Osseous tissue, or bone tissue, is the major structural and supportive connective tissue of the body. Osseous tissue forms the rigid part of the bone organs that make up the skeletal system.

[edit] Formation

Bone tissue is a mineralized connective tissue. It is formed by cells, called osteoblasts, that deposit a matrix of Type-I collagen and also release calcium, magnesium, and phosphate ions that ultimately combine chemically within the collagenous matrix into the crystalline mineral hydroxyapatite. The combination of hard mineral and flexible collagen makes bone harder and stronger than cartilage without being brittle. The primary anatomical and functional unit of mammalian compact bone consists of a repeating structure called Haversian system, or osteon. Each osteon has concentric layers of mineralized matrix, called concentric lamellae, which are deposited around a central canal, also known as the Haversian canal, containing blood vessels and nerves that service the bone.

[edit] Types

There are two types of osseous tissue, compact and spongy. Compact bone forms the extremely hard exterior while spongy bone fills the hollow interior. The tissues are biologically identical; the difference is in how the microstructure is arranged.

[edit] Functions

Osseous tissue performs numerous

• Support for muscles, organs, and soft tissues.
• Leverage and movement.
• Protection of vital organs. e.g. the heart (Note: some vital organs may not be protected by bones. e.g. the intestines.)
• Calcium phosphate storage.

Indirectly:

• Hemopoiesis - formation of blood cells (more correctly this is performed by the bone marrow interspersed within the spongy interior.

[edit] Osseous tissue versus bones

Bone tissue is different from bones themselves — bones are organs made up of bone tissue as well as marrow, blood vessels, epithelium and nerves, while bone tissue refers specifically to the mineral matrix that form the rigid sections of the organ.

[edit] See also

• Periosteum
• Bone healing
• Osseointegration

[edit] External links

• SimpleStepsDentistry: Osseous Surgery

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