Osteon

Taking a closer look at compact bone, you can see Osteons that are made mature bone cells called osteocytes. The osteocytes form a ring around a central opening called the Haversian Canal. This canal contains small blood vessels and nerve fibers that support the osteocytes. The hair-like lines are called canaliculi (kan-l-ik-yuh-lahy) and link all the osteocytes in an osteon together. These tiny openings allow nutrients and waste to move from one osteocyte to another.