Skip To Main Content (Press Enter).
CHAPTER 5 - CARTILAGE AND BONE
Histology Guide
application menu
  • HOME
  • ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
  • CHAPTER 5 - CARTILAGE AND BONE
  • INDEX
  • SEARCH
  • TERMS OF USE
  • HELP

MICROGRAPH

NAME
EM 294 Epiphyseal Plate
TISSUE
Long Bone
IMAGE SIZE
9,199 x 8,191 pixels
226 MB
FILE SIZES
46,381 KB (grayscale)
45,363 KB (color)
MAGNIFICATION
250x
PIXEL SIZE
73 nm
SOURCE
Stanley L. Erlandsen
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
School of Medicine
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

SETTINGS

Version 8.0


Display mode

Viewer options


Move Between WayPoints:



Description

Font size

CONTACT US

Questions or comments should be sent to
tcbrelje@gmail.com

This web site is owned and operated by:

T. Clark Brelje, Ph.D.

Faculty/Retired
University of Minnesota
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
6-160 Jackson Hall
321 Church St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Robert L. Sorenson, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
University of Minnesota
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
6-160 Jackson Hall
321 Church St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

See Terms of Use for more information.

HELP

See HELP for more extensive information.

Get the User Guide v1.1 to discover new features that can enhance your use of this platform.

Each slide is shown with additional information to its right. The image can be changed using any combination of the following commands.

Sidebar

  • Links: Click to navigate to a specific region
  • Images: Click to show this view
  • Toolbar: Use controls to adjust magnification and pan the image

Mouse

  • Zoom In: Click left button
  • Zoom Out: Double-click left button
  • Pan/Move: Click and drag the image

Keyboard

  • Zoom In: ‘A’ key
  • Zoom Out: ‘Z’ key
  • Pan/Move: Arrow keys (Up, Down, Left, Right)
  • Reset View: ESC key (fit-to-screen view)

Touch

  • Tap: Zoom in on a specific area
  • Double-tap: Zoom out from the current view
  • Drag: Pan the image

SHARE

A link to a micrograph can be saved for later viewing in different ways.

Clipboard

The address of this view has been copied to your clipboard. This link can be pasted in any other program.

Bookmark

A bookmark link can be created using the bookmark function (Ctrl-D for Windows or Cmd-D for Mac) of your browser. Choose a name for the bookmark and select the folder in which you want it saved.

EM 294 Epiphyseal Plate

Endochondral Ossification

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the epiphyseal plate. It is a thin layer of hyaline cartilage found in the epiphysis, or end, of a long bone. It is responsible for the longitudinal growth of long bones in children and adolescent adults. In adults, the epiphyseal place is replaced by bone, and growth ceases.

The epiphyseal plate is made up of zones:

  • - layers of flattened, quiescent (not actively dividing) chondrocytes (red)
  • - contains stacks of chondrocytes (yellow) undergoing mitosis under the influence of growth hormone
  • - chondrocytes (green) stop dividing and grow in size accumulated lipids, glycogen, and alkaline phosphatase
  • - chondrocytes (blue) undergo apoptosis as the matrix becomes calcified
  • - osteoblasts and osteoclasts (yellow and purple) break down the trabeculae of calcified cartilage and replace it with mineralized bone

The longitudinal growth of long bones results from cell division in the proliferative zone and cell growth in the zone of maturation and hypertrophy.

© 2005-2026. T. Clark Brelje and Robert L. Sorenson