
Endochondral bone formation occurs at the epiphyseal plate of a long bone. Click on the thumbnail at right for an overview.
As one scans across this image from left to right, one sees sequential stages in the process of endochondral ossification.
- Cartilage is growing (expanding) at the left.
 - Across the middle of the image, we see progressive stages of:
 
- cartilage with hypertrophying chondrocytes (at left, pink with large lacunae),
 - calcification of cartilage (deep purple),
 - invasion of cartilage by bone (right, red).
 
Comments and questions: dgking@siu.edu 
  
 SIUC / School 
  of Medicine / Anatomy / David 
  King  
  
  https://histology.siu.edu/ssb/cartbone.htm
  
Last updated:  24 June 2022 / dgk