Diploë ( or ) is the spongy cancellous bone 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, an ...

of the

skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

. It is a subclass of trabecular bone. In the cranial bones, the layers of compact cortical tissue are familiarly known as the tables of the skull; the outer one is thick and tough; the inner 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