Question

What is a Haversian Canal?

Answer 1

Haversian canal

Haversian canals (sometimes canals of Havers, named after British physician Clopton Havers) are a series of microscopic tubes in the outermost region of bone called cortical bone that allow blood vessels and nerves to travel through them. Each haversian canal generally contains one or two capillaries and nerve fibres. The channels are formed by concentric layers called lamellae. The haversian canals surround blood vessels and nerve cells throughout bones and communicate with bone cells (contained in spaces within the dense bone matrix called lacunae) through connections called canaliculi. This unique arrangement is conducive to mineral salt deposits and storage which gives bone tissue its strength.

In mature compact bone most of the individual lamellae form concentric rings around larger longitudinal canals (approx. 50 µm in diameter) within the bone tissue. These canals are called haversian canals. Haversian canals are contained within osteons, which are typically arranged along the long axis of the bone in parallel to the surface. The canals and the surrounding lamellae (8-15) form the functional unit, called a haversian system or osteon.

Answer 2

Answer:

• The bones comprises of microscopic tubes called Haversian Canals.
• They are contained in osteons,rough cylindrical structures present along the axis of the bone.
• They allowed the blood vessels,lymphatic vessels and,nerve fibres to travel through them.
• The Haversian Canals communicate with bone cells through connections called Canaliculi.