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Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification

Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification

Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...

Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification

Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification

Bone formation, or ossification, begins around the sixth to seventh week of embryonic development. Most bones develop from a cartilaginous template through the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage formation begins when clusters of mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrocytes. These chondrocytes proliferate rapidly and secrete an extracellular matrix that becomes encased in a membrane called the perichondrium. The resulting cartilage model provides a template that resembles the...

Bone Remodeling

Bone Remodeling

Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...

Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue

Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue

Chondrocytes form a temporary cartilaginous model by dividing and secreting a thick gel-like extracellular matrix. Once the chondrocytes undergo programmed cell death, osteoblasts enter the site of the cartilaginous model. The process of replacing the temporary cartilaginous model with bone in an ordered manner is called endochondral ossification. In endochondral ossification, not all of the cartilage is replaced by bone tissue. Some cartilage that performs a protective and supportive function...

Development of the Limb Synovial Joints

Development of the Limb Synovial Joints

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Sequential In vivo Imaging of Osteogenic Stem/Progenitor Cells During Fracture Repair

Sequential In vivo Imaging of Osteogenic Stem/Progenitor Cells During Fracture Repair

Published on: May 23, 2014

Tracing the skeletal progenitor transition during postnatal bone formation.

Hui Sophie Shu¹, Yiming Liam Liu¹, Xinyu Thomas Tang¹

¹State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.

|September 9, 2021

Summary

Skeletal progenitor cells transition during bone development. Perinatal chondrocytes form early osteoblasts, while adult bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) take over later, ensuring bone growth and maintenance.

Keywords:

Lepr bone formation bone marrow stromal cells chondrocyte endochondral ossification lineage tracing running skeletal progenitor skeletal stem cells

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Last Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Sequential In vivo Imaging of Osteogenic Stem/Progenitor Cells During Fracture Repair

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Published on: May 23, 2014

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Co-localization of Cell Lineage Markers and the Tomato Signal

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Published on: December 28, 2016

Area of Science:

Skeletal Biology
Developmental Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

Endochondral bone development involves multiple skeletal progenitor types.
The precise roles and relationships between these progenitors are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the lineage relationships and functional contributions of distinct skeletal progenitor populations during postnatal bone formation.
To elucidate the transition of progenitor cell function over time and its impact on bone growth and maintenance.

Main Methods:

Development of dual-recombinase fate-mapping systems to track progenitor cell transitions.
Genetic manipulation (conditional deletion of Runx2) to assess progenitor function.
Analysis of bone lengthening and thickening in response to genetic alterations and physical activity.

Main Results:

Postnatal osteoblasts originate from chondrocytes before adolescence and from Lepr-positive bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) after adolescence.
This progenitor transition initiates in the diaphysis during adolescence and extends to the metaphysis.
Lepr-positive BMSCs primarily originate from fetal Col2-positive cells.
Runx2 deletion in perinatal chondrocytes and adult Lepr-positive BMSCs differentially impaired bone lengthening and thickening.
Physical activity enhanced osteoblast formation by perinatal chondrocytes but not by adult Lepr-positive BMSCs.

Conclusions:

Developmental skeletal progenitors generate adult skeletal progenitors, establishing a sequential control over endochondral bone growth and maintenance.
A distinct shift in osteoblast lineage occurs during adolescence, mediated by the transition from chondrocyte-derived to BMSC-derived progenitors.