[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/) › [Connective tissue, cartilage and bone](https://durgical.com/en/histology/#a-connective) › Bone tissue: cells, compact and spongy bone

[Histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/) · [Connective tissue, cartilage and bone](https://durgical.com/en/histology/#a-connective)

# Bone tissue: cells, compact and spongy bone

- Tissue

Bone is a living, mineralized connective tissue that is constantly built and broken down by its own cells.

Updated 2026-11-01

**See it in 3D:** [Femur](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femur/) · [Humerus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/humerus/) · [Tibia](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tibia/)

## Key points

- Osteoblasts make osteoid (type I collagen); osteoclasts come from monocytes and are multinucleated.
- Osteocytes in lacunae talk through canaliculi with gap junctions.
- Osteon = Haversian canal + concentric lamellae; Volkmann canals run across.
- Spongy bone: trabeculae, no osteons, red marrow.
- Osteoporosis = less bone, normal mineral; osteomalacia = poorly mineralized osteoid.

## What it is

Bone tissue is a connective tissue whose matrix is about one third organic (mainly type I collagen, the osteoid) and two thirds mineral (hydroxyapatite). Four cell types build, maintain and resorb it. It is arranged as dense compact bone on the outside of every bone and as a lattice of spongy bone inside, which holds the red marrow.

## Structure

- Compact (cortical) bone is built of osteons (Haversian systems): concentric lamellae around a central (Haversian) canal with vessels and nerves.
- Perforating (Volkmann) canals run across the osteons and link central canals with the periosteum and marrow cavity.
- Interstitial lamellae are remnants of old osteons between new ones; circumferential lamellae run under the periosteum and endosteum.
- Spongy (cancellous, trabecular) bone is a lattice of trabeculae aligned with lines of stress, with no osteons; marrow fills the spaces.
- Periosteum: outer fibrous layer and inner osteogenic layer, anchored by Sharpey fibres; endosteum lines the marrow cavity.
- Woven (immature) bone has randomly arranged collagen and many cells; lamellar (mature) bone has orderly layers.

## Function

- Support and protection.
- Levers for muscles.
- Calcium and phosphate reservoir under parathyroid hormone, vitamin D and calcitonin control.
- Houses red marrow (blood formation) in spongy bone.

## Bone cells

| Cell | Origin | What it does | How it looks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Osteoprogenitor (osteogenic) cell | Mesenchymal stem cell | Divides and becomes osteoblasts | Flat cells in the inner periosteum and endosteum |
| Osteoblast | Osteoprogenitor cell | Lays down osteoid and starts its mineralization | Cuboidal basophilic cells in a row on bone surfaces |
| Osteocyte | Osteoblast trapped in matrix | Senses load and maintains the matrix; signals remodeling | Small cell in a lacuna, with processes in canaliculi |
| Osteoclast | Monocyte–macrophage lineage | Resorbs bone with acid and enzymes | Large multinucleated cell with a ruffled border in a Howship lacuna |

## Clinical notes

- Osteoporosis: bone mass and trabecular connections are lost but the bone that remains is normally mineralized; vertebrae, hip and wrist break with minor trauma.
- Osteogenesis imperfecta: abnormal type I collagen gives brittle bones and blue sclerae.
- Osteopetrosis: defective osteoclasts make dense but brittle bone that crowds out the marrow.
- Osteomyelitis: infection spreads through Haversian and Volkmann canals and can leave dead bone (sequestrum).

## Memory aid

Blasts build, clasts carve, cytes keep watch from their caves.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## From which cell lineage do osteoclasts arise?

The monocyte–macrophage lineage of the bone marrow; they fuse into large multinucleated cells.

## What is an osteon?

The unit of compact bone: concentric lamellae of matrix around a central Haversian canal that carries vessels and nerves, with osteocytes in lacunae between lamellae.

## How do osteocytes buried in matrix get nutrients?

Through cell processes running in tiny canals (canaliculi) that connect neighbouring osteocytes by gap junctions and reach the central canal.

## In osteoporosis, is the remaining bone poorly mineralized?

No. There is less bone and fewer trabecular connections, but the bone present is normally mineralized; poor mineralization is osteomalacia.

[Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/histology/bone-tissue-cells-compact-and-spongy-bone/)

## See it in 3D

The structures of Durgical's 3D anatomy where it is found.

- [Femur](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femur/)
- [Humerus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/humerus/)
- [Tibia](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tibia/)

## Related

- [Ossification, growth plate and bone remodeling](https://durgical.com/en/histology/ossification-growth-plate-and-bone-remodeling/)
- [Cartilage: hyaline, elastic, fibrocartilage](https://durgical.com/en/histology/cartilage-hyaline-elastic-fibrocartilage/)
- [Connective tissue proper: cells and fibres](https://durgical.com/en/histology/connective-tissue-proper-cells-and-fibres/)
- [Hematopoiesis and bone marrow](https://durgical.com/en/histology/hematopoiesis-and-bone-marrow/)
- [Extracellular matrix: collagen types, elastin, ground substance](https://durgical.com/en/histology/extracellular-matrix-collagen-types-elastin-ground-substance/)

## Related conditions

- [Osteoporosis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/osteoporosis/)
- [Osteogenesis imperfecta](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/osteogenesis-imperfecta/)
- [Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/osteoporotic-vertebral-compression-fracture/)
- [Femoral Neck Fracture](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/femoral-neck-fracture/)
- [Osteomyelitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/osteomyelitis/)

[← All of histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/)

Educational content on normal microscopic structure and its clinical relevance; no substitute for studying slides or for a health professional's advice.

Sources: [6.3 Bone Structure](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/6-3-bone-structure) (OpenStax, 2022); [Structure of Bone Tissue](https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/skeletal/tissue.html) (National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, 2024); [Osteoporosis](https://medlineplus.gov/osteoporosis.html) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/histology/bone-tissue-cells-compact-and-spongy-bone/