Summary
Structure and size of the osteoblasts have been analyzed during growth of the tibial diaphyses in chick embryos from 10 days incubation until hatching. Statistical analyses of the results indicate that both size and density of the osteoblasts gradually decrease from the subperiosteal towards the endosteal regions of the shaft; the osteoblast secretory territory, on the other hand, increases. These structural changes of the osteoblasts, which appear to be related to differences of the appositional growth rate, seem to derive mainly from structural modifications of differentiated osteoblasts rather than from differentiation of new osteoblasts, of progressively smaller size, from osteoprogenitor cells. The data reported in this paper compared with those in previous investigations indicate that the size of the osteoblasts does not significantly differ in animals of different species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Frost HM (1969) Tetracycline-based histological analysis of bone remodelling. Calcif Tissue Res 3:211–237
Jones SG (1974) Secretory territories and rate of matrix production of osteoblasts. Calcif Tissue Res 14:309–315
Landeros O, Frost HM (1964) A cell system in which rate and amount of protein are separately controlled. Science 145:1323
Marotti G (1976) Decrement in volume of osteoblasts during osteon formation and its effect on the size of the corresponding osteocytes. In: Meunier PJ (ed) Bone Histomorphometry. Armour Montagu, Paris, pp 385–397
Marotti G, Zambonin Zallone A, Delrio N, Ledda M (1973) Disposizione, forma e dimensione degli osteoblasti durante le varie fasi della costruzione degli osteoni. Arch ital Anat Embriol 78:55–56
Marotti G, Ledda M, Zambonin Zallone A (1974a) Dati quantitativi sulle dimensioni e sulle densità degli osteoblasti di superfici ossee a diversa attività osteogenetica. Studi Sassaresi 52:184–186
Marotti G, Zambonin Zallone A, Ledda M (1974b) Analisi della struttura degli osteoblasti in rapporto alla velocità di deposizione della matrice ossea. Studi Sassaresi 52:171–183
Marotti G, Zambonin Zallone A, Ledda M (1975) Number, size and arrangement of osteoblasts in osteons at different stages of formation. In: Nielsen SP, Hjorting-Hansen E (eds) Calcified Tissues 1975. Proc XIth Europ Symp on Calc Tiss, Fadl's Forlag Copenhagen, pp 96-101
Olah AJ (1972) Quantitative relations between osteoblasts and osteoid in primary hyperparathyroidism, intestinal malabsorption and renal osteodystrophy. Virchows Arch Abt A Path Anat 358:301–308
Owen M (1963) Cell population kinetics of an osteogenetic tissue. I. J Cell Biol 19:19–32
Parfitt AM, Villanueva AR, Crouch MML, Mathews CHE, Duncan H (1976) Classification of osteoid seams by combined use of cell morphology and tetracycline labelling. Evidence for intermittency of mineralization. In: Meunier PJ (ed) Bone Histomorphometry. Armour Montagu, Paris, pp 299–310
Schen S, Villanueva AR, Frost HM (1965) Number of osteoblasts per unit area of osteoid seam in cortical human bone. Canad J Physiol Pharmacol 43:319–325
Schenk RH, Olah AJ, Merz WA (1973) Bone cell counts. In: Frame B, Parfitt AM, Duncan H (eds) Clinical aspects of metabolic bone disease. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, pp 103–113
Volpi G, Marotti G (1981) Relationship between size of the osteoblasts and periosteal growth rate in the chick embryo tibiae. In: Jee WSS, Parfitt AM (eds) Bone Histomorphometry. Armour Montagu, Paris, pp 502–503
Zambonin Zallone A (1977) Relationships between shape and size of the osteoblasts and the accretion rate of trabecular bone surfaces. Anat Embryol 152:65–72
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Investigation supported by the Italian National Research Council
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Volpi, G., Palazzini, S., Cané, V. et al. Morphometric analysis of osteoblast dynamics in the chick embryo tibia. Anat Embryol 162, 393–401 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00301865
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00301865