Endochondral bone formation, at the epiphyseal plate of a long bone. Click on the thumbnail at right for higher magnification.
As one scans across this image from left to right, one sees sequential stages in the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage is growing (expanding) toward the left. Across the middle of the image, we see progressive stages of:
- cartilage formation,
- cartilage maturation,
- hypertrophy of chondrocytes,
- calcification of cartilage,
- invasion of cartilage by bone.
At the right is marrow in the cavity of the bone.
Comments and questions: dgking@siu.edu
SIUC / School
of Medicine / Anatomy / David
King
https://histology.siu.edu/ssb/endochon.htm
Last updated: 24 June 2022 / dgk