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bone tissue

(… TIH-shoo)
Tissue that gives strength and structure to bones. Bone is made up of compact tissue (the hard, outer layer) and cancellous tissue (the spongy, inner layer that contains red marrow). Bone tissue is maintained by bone-forming cells called osteoblasts and cells that break down bone called osteoclasts. Bones also contain blood vessels, nerves, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Also called osseous tissue.
Anatomy of the bone; drawing shows spongy bone, red marrow, and yellow marrow. A cross section of the bone shows compact bone and blood vessels in the bone marrow. Also shown are red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and a blood stem cell.Enlarge this image in new window
Anatomy of the bone. The bone is made up of compact bone, spongy bone, and bone marrow. Compact bone makes up the outer layer of the bone. Spongy bone is found mostly at the ends of bones and contains red marrow. Bone marrow is found in the center of most bones and has many blood vessels. There are two types of bone marrow: red and yellow. Red marrow contains blood stem cells that can become red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Yellow marrow is made mostly of fat.
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