medullary cavity

Examples of medullary cavity in the following topics:

• Growth of Bone

  • Osteoclasts, cells that work to break down bone, resorb old bone that lines the medullary cavity.
  • The erosion of old bone along the medullary cavity and the deposition of new bone beneath the periosteum not only increase the diameter of the diaphysis, but also increase the diameter of the medullary cavity.

• Bone Development

  • This calcification prevents diffusion of nutrients into the matrix, resulting in chondrocytes dying and the opening up of cavities in the diaphysis cartilage.
  • Blood vessels invade the cavities, while osteoblasts and osteoclasts modify the calcified cartilage matrix into spongy bone.
  • Osteoclasts then break down some of the spongy bone to create a marrow, or medullary cavity, in the center of the diaphysis.

• Bone Remodeling and Repair

  • Bone remodeling: The bony callus is then remodelled by osteoclasts and osteoblasts, with excess material on the exterior of the bone and within the medullary cavity being removed.

• Supply of Blood and Nerves to Bone

  • The nutrient arteries divide into ascending and descending branches in the medullary cavity.

• Gross Anatomy

  • The interior part of the long bone is called the medullary cavity; the inner core of the bone cavity is composed of marrow.

• Development of the Skeleton

  • This creates cavities within the bone.
  • Blood vessels forming the periosteal bud invade the cavity left by the chondrocytes and branch in opposite directions along the length of the shaft.
  • The blood vessels carry hemopoietic cells, osteoprogenitor cells and other cells inside the cavity.
  • Osteoblasts, differentiated from the osteoprogenitor cells that entered the cavity via the periosteal bud, use the calcified matrix as a scaffold and begin to secrete osteoid, which forms the bone trabecula.
  • Osteoclasts, formed from macrophages, break down spongy bone to form the medullary (bone marrow) cavity.

• Cerebrospinal Fluid and Its Circulation

  • This diagram indicates the (1) posterior medullary velum (2) choroid plexus (3) cisterna cerebellomedullaris of subarachnoid cavity (4) central canal (5) corpora quadrigemina (6) cerebral peduncle (7) anterior medullary velum (8) ependymal lining of ventricle (9) cisterna pontis of subarachnoid cavity
  • Diagrammatic representation of a section across the top of the skull, showing the membranes of the brain with the subarachnoid cavity visible on the left.

• Body Cavities

  • Blood vessels are not considered cavities but may be held within cavities.
  • The dorsal cavity is a continuous cavity located on the dorsal side of the body.
  • The abdominoplevic cavity is the posterior ventral body cavity found beneath the thoracic cavity and diaphragm.
  • Humans have multiple body cavities, including the cranial cavity, the vertebral cavity, the thoracic cavity (containing the pericardial cavity and the pleural cavity), the abdominal cavity, and the pelvic cavity.
  • In mammals, the diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.

• Kidney Structure

  • The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped structures that are located just below and posterior to the liver in the peritoneal cavity .
  • The arcuate, "bow shaped" arteries form arcs along the base of the medullary pyramids.
  • They are located in the peritoneal cavity.

• Animal Body Planes and Cavities

  • In the posterior cavity, the cranial cavity houses the brain and the spinal cavity (or vertebral cavity) encloses the spinal cord.
  • The anterior cavity has two main subdivisions: the thoracic cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity.
  • The thoracic cavity contains the pleural cavity around the lungs and the pericardial cavity, which surrounds the heart.
  • The abdominopelvic cavity is the largest cavity in the body.
  • The ventral cavity, indicated in yellow, contains the thoracic cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity.