BONES AND THE SKELETON IMAGES
Human skeleton
The skeleton of a human male in a sitting position.
Credit: Wellcome Library, London.
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Normal
bone
A scanning electron micrograph of normal bone. This sample is from a vertebra (a bone of the spine) of a healthy male.
Credit: Professor Alan Boyde, Wellcome Images.
Bone affected by
osteoporosis
A scanning electron micrograph of osteoporotic bone. This sample is from a vertebra (a bone of the spine) of an 89-year-old woman with osteoporosis.
Credit: Professor Alan Boyde, Wellcome Images.
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Bone affected by
osteoporosis
A thin slice of an osteoporotic vertebra (a bone of the spine) from an 89-year-old woman, showing damage to the structure of the bone. This image has been colour enhanced.
Credit: Professor Alan Boyde, Wellcome Images.
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Growing bone
A region of growth (epiphyseal growth plate) in an immature thighbone. Cartilage is stained purple, and bone is stained yellow-green. The rapidly dividing cartilage cells within the
purple band at the top form stacks that run parallel to the long axis of the bone. Below this zone, the cartilage becomes calcified and the cartilage cells (chondrocytes) die. Further
down is the ossification zone, where the bone tissue is laid down.
Credit: Karin Hing, Wellcome Images.
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The epiphysis
The ‘epiphysis’ is the rounded end of a long bone - the region of bone that forms joints with adjacent bones. The process seen here is ossification, the growth process that results in
the generation of new bone. Calcification occurs during ossification.
Credit: Spike Walker, Wellcome Images.
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Compact bone
Compact bone, from human femur. Transverse sections showing cross-sections and the arrangement of osteons and Haversian canals. Bone is made up of two types of tissue: the
compact bone forms a shell around the spongy cancellous bone that makes up the marrow space in the centre. Compact bone provides strength and rigidity and is solid in
appearance. It is composed of a layered matrix of organic substances and inorganic salts that form around an intricate network of vasculature called Haversian canals.
Credit: Ivor Mason, KCL, Wellcome Images.
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Human fingers
The bones of the human fingers, wearing a ring. This image is a photograph of an X-ray attributed to L Ropner, 1897.
Credit: Wellcome Library, London.
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Composition of
bone
A diagram showing a cross-section of the composition of bone.
Credit: Miles Kelly Art Library, Wellcome Images.
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Female figure
running
Artwork of the figure of a woman running, revealing the skeleton beneath transparent skin.
Credit: Oliver Burston, Wellcome Images.
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Skelton of a man with
numerous osseous
growths
The skeleton of a man, aged 39 years, which had numerous osseous growths of varied dimensions. From the Hunterian specimen in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons,
no.1616a. Presented by Samuel George Shattock, Esq (1888-1889).
Credit: St Bartholomew’s Hospital Archives and Museum, Wellcome Images.
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Reusing our images
Images and illustrations
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• Cartoon illustrations are © Glen McBeth. We commission Glen to produce these
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