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The epiphyseal plate, also known as the growth plate, is a layer of hyaline cartilage located at the end of the long bones in children and adolescents. It is responsible for the lengthwise growth of the diaphysis, which is the long, cylindrical part of the bone.
The epiphyseal plate contains chondrocytes, which are cartilage cells that divide and produce new cartilage tissue. As new cartilage is formed, the epiphyseal plate pushes the epiphysis away from the diaphysis, increasing the length of the bone.
As the chondrocytes continue to divide and produce new cartilage tissue, the older cartilage cells are pushed closer to the diaphysis. Eventually, these older cartilage cells die and are replaced by bone cells, a process known as ossification. The new bone tissue that replaces the cartilage tissue forms the diaphysis, and the lengthwise growth of the bone is complete.
Once a person reaches adulthood, the epiphyseal plate is replaced by a bony epiphyseal line, which indicates that the bone has stopped growing in length. At this point, the bone can only increase in diameter through a process called appositional growth.
