Answer :
Final answer:
The fourth zone of the epiphyseal plate is the ossification zone, where the calcified cartilage is turned into bone, contributing to the longitudinal growth of long bones.Thus the option d Ossification zone is the correct answer.
Explanation:
The fourth zone of the epiphyseal plate is the ossification zone. The epiphyseal plate has four distinct zones: the reserve zone, proliferative zone, zone of maturation and hypertrophy, and ossification zone. When chondrocytes in the calcification zone die, their matrix calcifies, and osteoblasts lay down bone on this calcified cartilage. This process contributes to the longitudinal growth of long bones, and the ossification zone serves as the final step where the newly formed bone is remodeled, leading to an increase in the length of the bone.
