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Bone Shapes
Bones fall into one of 4 categories according to
their general shapes.
 | long bones are located in the
limbs |
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long bones |
| the epiphyses are the ends of long
bones. They consist of cancellous bone covered with a thin
layer of compact bone. |
| the diaphysis is the shaft of a long
bone. It is almost entirely compact bone. |
| the epiphyseal plate is also
referred to as the growth plate. In young growing animals it is
a plate of cartilage that is the site of bone growth in length.
The epiphyseal plate ossifies when growth stops.
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| short bones are sort of block-like in
shape, and consist of a core of cancellous bone surrounded by
compact bone. |
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carpus showing short bone shape
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| flat bones, as their name implies, are
flat in shape. They consist of 2 plates of compact bone separated
by cancellous bone. |
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scapulas showing flat bone shape
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| irregular bones are the "miscellaneous"
category of bone shapes. Their shapes don't conveniently fit into
one of the other categories. |
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vertebra showing irregular bone shape
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