<P> Endochondral ossification is responsible for the initial bone development from cartilage in utero and infants and the longitudinal growth of long bones in the epiphyseal plate . The plate 's chondrocytes are under constant division by mitosis . These daughter cells stack facing the epiphysis while the older cells are pushed towards the diaphysis . As the older chondrocytes degenerate , osteoblasts ossify the remains to form new bone . In puberty increasing levels of estrogen , in both females and males , leads to increased apoptosis of chondrocytes in the epiphyseal plate . Depletion of chondrocytes due to apoptosis leads to less ossification and growth slows down and later stops when the entire cartilage have become replaced by bone , leaving only a thin epiphyseal scar which later disappears . </P>
<P> Endochondral ossification is responsible for the initial bone development from cartilage in utero and infants and the longitudinal growth of long bones in the epiphyseal plate . The plate 's chondrocytes are under constant division by mitosis . These daughter cells stack facing the epiphysis while the older cells are pushed towards the diaphysis . As the older chondrocytes degenerate , osteoblasts ossify the remains to form new bone . In puberty increasing levels of estrogen , in both females and males , leads to increased apoptosis of chondrocytes in the epiphyseal plate . Depletion of chondrocytes due to apoptosis leads to less ossification and growth slows down and later stops when the entire cartilage have become replaced by bone , leaving only a thin epiphyseal scar which later disappears . </P>
where is longitudinal growth occurring in long bones
where is longitudinal growth occurring in long bones
in the epiphyseal plate
in the epiphyseal plate