Diploë ( or ) is the spongy

cancellous bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...

separating the inner and outer layers of the

cortical bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...

of the

skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, th ...

. In the

cranial bone The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, th ...

s, the layers of compact cortical tissue are familiarly known as the tables of the skull; the outer one is thick and tough; the

inner Interior may refer to: Arts and media * ''Interior'' (Degas) (also known as ''The Rape''), painting by Edgar Degas * ''Interior'' (play), 1895 play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck * ''The Interior'' (novel), by Lisa See * Interior de ...

is thin, dense, and brittle, and hence is termed the ''vitreous table''. The intervening cancellous tissue is called the diploë. In certain regions of the

this becomes absorbed so as to leave spaces filled with liquid between the two tables.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek διπλόη (''diplóē'', “literally, a fold”), noun use of feminine of διπλόος (''diplóos'', “double”)

References

External links

Skull {{musculoskeletal-stub de:Spongiosa