The cylindrical unit of compact bone is called?

The cylindrical unit of compact bone is called?

• A. Osteon
• B. Trabeculae
• C. Canaliculi
• D. Lacunae

Answer: (A)

Compact bone is organized into repeating cylindrical units called osteons, also known as Haversian systems. Each osteon has a central Haversian canal that carries blood vessels and nerves, surrounded by concentric lamellae of mineralized matrix. Osteocytes sit in small spaces called lacunae between the lamellae and connect through tiny channels called canaliculi. The other structures play different roles: trabeculae form the latticework of cancellous bone, not cylindrical units; canaliculi are the tiny transport channels; lacunae are the spaces that house osteocytes. So the cylindrical unit of compact bone is the osteon.

Compact bone is organized into repeating cylindrical units called osteons, also known as Haversian systems. Each osteon has a central Haversian canal that carries blood vessels and nerves, surrounded by concentric lamellae of mineralized matrix. Osteocytes sit in small spaces called lacunae between the lamellae and connect through tiny channels called canaliculi. The other structures play different roles: trabeculae form the latticework of cancellous bone, not cylindrical units; canaliculi are the tiny transport channels; lacunae are the spaces that house osteocytes. So the cylindrical unit of compact bone is the osteon.