The Study of Bone Histology in the Human Skeleton

To assess species affiliation of bone fragments by examining histological characters using a sample of two male skeletons(skulls and long bones only) aged 20 years and 30 years.The human sample was collected from forensic autopsies.Bone was cut into 2mm histological section plates,which were then observed at 10×20 power with an Olympus,HB-20 microscope.Different parts of the human skeleton showed a variety of bone histological characters and different parts of the same bone(for example,the upper and lower sections of a long bone) showed various microscopic structures.The outer and inner circumferential lamellae, interstitial lamellae,osteons,and bone lacuna were observed on different parts of the bone.Histological characters of compact bone and spongy bone were described,and with this qualitative data entered into the computer.Photomicrographs were also taken.This study has demonstrated a new method for bone fragment identification in forensic anthropology,which is also useful to studies in anthropology and archaeology.