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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 May 12.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2008 May 24;40(12):2720–2738. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2008.05.011

Figure 4. Mesenchymal cells in chondrogenic condensations can assume either chondrogenic or osteogenic lineages.

Figure 4

The process of endochondral ossification, from loose mesenchyme to initial osteoblast differentiation, entails intermediate chondrocyte differentiation. The loose mesenchymal progenitor cells (A) proliferate and organize into the condensed mesenchyme comprised of osteochondroprogenitor cells (B). The cells of the condensed mesenchyme differentiate into chondrocytes (C) and the cells at the center of the condensation stop proliferating and become hypertrophic (D). Perichondral cells adjacent to the hypertrophic chondrocytes differentiate into osteoblasts (E) and form the bone collar (BC) as the invasion of blood vessels begins along with continued osteoblast differentiation. After [Kronenberg, 2003].