How Does a Femur Grow?
Let’s look at the femur’s growth in more detail. When an animal is young, the femur is not a single piece. The long center piece is called the diaphysis, and there is an enlarged piece at either end called the epiphysis (see diagram). In between each epiphysis and the diaphysis is a “growth plate.” The growth plate allows the femur to get longer. When the animal is finished growing, the growth plates disappear and the epiphyses connect with the diaphysis to form one long bone.
- How tall was Lupe?
- How much did Lupe weigh?
- How old was Lupe?
- How does a femur grow?
- How did Lupe walk?
<< Back to More about mammoths.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0741583.