This image shows a region of the marrow cavity of a bone, containing trabeculae, which are an example of spongy (cancellous) lamellar bone. Note that the bone was decalcified prior to embedding and sectioning. Trabeculae are linked together with each other and the inner wall of the bone to form a three dimensional network of bone that appears spongy in gross preparations. This structure is both light and strong. The trabeculae of mature bone are made of lamellar bone, which is characterized by the lamellar substructure of the bone matrix. Look for the fine, parallel lines that mark the boundaries between adjacent lamellae and the arrangement of the lacunae in parallel rows. Thin trabeculae, such as seen in this image, are not vascularized and the cells exchange gases and metabolites directly with the tissue fluid of the marrow cavity via the canaliculi that connect the lacunae to one another and to the surface of the trabeculae.
Stain = H&E.
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| Copyright by: Paul B. Bell, Jr. & Barbara Safiejko-Mroczka |
The University of Oklahoma