Abstract:
This paper presents the research results on the structure of the periosteum of autopodial bones in cattle at different stages of postnatal development. The periosteum is one of the components of bone as an organ. Covering the bone externally, it serves not only a protective function but also a trophic one, facilitated by a well-developed nervous apparatus, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels. The correlation between different structural elements forming the periosteal layers changes throughout the animal's life. In newborns and young animals, the elastic fibrous layer is better defined, containing more elastic fibers and cellular structures of the cambial layer (osteoblasts), which contribute to bone formation during this phase of osteogenesis. In animals aged 10-13 years, the periosteum undergoes involution, with the inner layer being less prominent due to the disappearance of cambial cells. Depending on the development stage and histological structure of the periosteum of the thoracic and pelvic autopodial bones in cattle, three types of periosteum have been identified.