ABSTRACT
The structure, distribution and remodeling of tissue types in a bone section closely depend on local growth processes, which are finely recorded. The histological structure of a bone, recent or fossil, may reveal the morphogenetic processes conditioning its shape and size during growth and aging. Skeletal growth and patterning are,, extremely complex processes, under the direct influence of systemic factors and many local regulators, in addition to specific gene expressions. The present review describes the most important aspects of bone growth, with emphasis on the basic processes involved in the postnatal development of dermal and endochondral elements, the main endocrine controls on osteoblast and osteoclast activities, and some basic morphogenetic operations that influence the local differentiation of bone shape during growth.
