Bone Growth: The Journey from Cartilage to Bone Tissue

What happens when the bone stops growing in early adulthood?

When the bone stops growing in early adulthood (approximately 18-21 years), the cartilage is replaced by ____ tissue and the epiphyseal plate becomes an ____.

Answer:

The bone stops growing in early adulthood and replaces its cartilage with bone tissue. This process ends with the epiphyseal plate transitioning into an epiphyseal line.

When the bone stops growing in early adulthood (approximately 18-21 years), the cartilage is replaced by bone tissue and the epiphyseal plate becomes an epiphyseal line. This process is known as epiphyseal plate closure. During this process, the cartilage cells stop dividing and all of the cartilage is replaced by bone, leading to the fading of the epiphyseal plate and the fusion of the epiphysis and diaphysis.

This marks the end of the bone's lengthening process which previously occurred through the addition of bone tissue at the epiphyseal plate. The plate is composed of four zones of cells and activity. The reserve zone is the region closest to the epiphyseal end of the plate, securing the epiphyseal plate to the osseous tissue of the epiphysis.

The bone ceases to increase in length once this process is completed, marking the transition into adulthood and the end of the growth phase.