Introduction
The term bone can be defined as the rigid body tissue, which helps to make the body skeleton. It is made up of different types of cells that work as connective tissue. The basic function of the bone is to provide the structural base to the body and gives required mobility. Two types of bone tissue present in long bones, which are different in density and structure, are compact and spongy bone tissue.
What are Compact Bones?
Compact bones can be located on the outer sections of the long bones. These bones are rigid in nature. The gap and space amount in compact tissue is much less. The low porosity of this type of bone is the reason; it is called dense bone.
The external layer of the bone is heavy and hard but the surface is smoother, it is called the compact bone. The bones present in arms and legs are the most common example of compact bones. This type of bone occupies 80 % of the total skeleton and it contains the yellow-coloured bone marrow.
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What is Spongy Bone?
In contrary, to the compact bones, the spongy bones are located on the inner region of long bones. This type of bone has the building block of trabeculae that do not have any kind of central canal. This type of bone is present in 20% of the whole skeleton.
These types of bones have the structure of both rods and plates. Spongy bones are less compared to compact bones and much lighter, which helps to balance the weight of compact bones and together the body moves freely. These bones have less calcium density and have red bone marrow.
Similarities between Compact and Spongy Bones
Compact and spongy bones have some major similarities as listed below.
- In animals, these two types of tissue help to provide the basic structure. Along with the shape, it helps to get support.
- They both have osteoblasts and osteoclasts that are essential for creating bones.
- They have proteins such as the collagens and osteoid that help in the formation of bone.
- Both types of bones have blood vessels, bone marrow and nerves at the lamella.
- They can attach to the muscles by forming joining sites.
- Both of these bones have minerals salts within.
- They both are structural bone that helps the mussels to function.
Differences between Compact and Spongy Bones
There are some basic differences between Compact and Spongy Bones, as listed below.
| Compact Bone | Spongy Bone |
|---|---|
| The compact bone is one kind of bone that is hard and heavy and comes from long bones diaphysis. | The spongy bones are the soft and light styles of bones, which are made with epiphysis of long bones. |
| It is heavier, rigid and stronger. | It is a softer and porous type of bone. |
| It has a higher density. | It has a lower density. |
| In the body, 80% of the bones are compact bones. | The rest 20% of the bones are spongy. |
| The main function of this kind of bone is forming the long bone’s diaphysis. | Its main function is forming the epiphysis of long bones |
| Closely packed osteons are the base of this kind of bone. | Minerals that contain the trabeculae are the base of this kind of bone. |
| The shape is cylindrical. | It has a cuboidal shape. |
| It contains a high level of calcium. | It has less amount of calcium. |
| It can be found in the bones that are known as long bones. For example, bones of arms and legs. | It can be found in the short bines present in the ankles or wrists. |
| They can stand with heavy weight. | They cannot tolerate any kind of shock, which is a result of movement. |
| They do not have any kind of tendency to transform into spongy bones. | In some cases, it can transform into compact bones. |