A Long Bone Increases in Length Until ________

Question

A long bone increases in length until ________.
A) appositional growth starts
B) the body runs out of calcium
C) epiphyseal closure occurs
D) expansion of the secondary ossification centers ends
E) death; bones grow as long as we are alive

Accepted Answer

Long bones grow in length through a process called endochondral ossification, where cartilage cells at the end of the bone continue to divide and push the bone to lengthen. This continues until epiphyseal closure occurs, where the cartilage cells are replaced with bone cells and growth in length stops.