Bone tissue - structure

At this magnification, the details of the tissue start to become clearer. You might notice some circular structures surrounding cavities, with or without vessels. What could this be?

Some darker strands (more visible in the next section) running across the circle can also be glimpsed.

Bone tissue is composed of osteons. These consist of a Haversian canal (containing blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerves, and loose connective tissue) surrounded by thin, circular plates of bone matrix. These thin plates are called lamellae. In small, almond-shaped cavities (lacunae) within the lamellae, we find osteocytes – bone cells.

In the section to the left, osteons with their lamellae arranged circularly around a Haversian canal are clearly visible. Osteocytes and canaliculi (see the next section) can also be spotted here and there.