Which canal runs through the core of the osteon and contains blood vessels and nerves, being lined by endosteum?

• A. Central canal
• B. Perforating canal
• C. Lacunae
• D. Canaliculi

Answer: (A)

The central concept is the vascular core of an osteon. The canal that runs through the center of an osteon and carries blood vessels and nerves is the central canal, also known as the Haversian canal. It is lined by endosteum, a thin cellular layer that helps with nutrient exchange and bone remodeling, and it serves as the main conduit bringing blood supply and innervation to the osteon’s layers.

Perforating canals run perpendicular to the osteons and connect the vascular systems of neighboring osteons; they aren’t the central channel within a single osteon. Lacunae are tiny pockets housing osteocytes, and canaliculi are the small channels that link those lacunae to each other and to the central canal. These features support communication and nutrient diffusion but do not themselves contain the main blood vessels inside the osteon.