Final answer:
The tibia is classified as a long bone, which is longer than it is wide with a shaft containing marrow and two ends that are involved in blood cell production.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tibia is categorized as a long bone in the human skeleton. Long bones are defined as being longer than they are wide and typically have a shaft known as the diaphysis, which contains bone marrow within a marrow cavity and two rounded ends called epiphyses. These rounded ends are covered with articular cartilage and are filled with red bone marrow, crucial for blood cell production. The tibia is the larger, weight-bearing bone on the medial side of the leg, distinguishing it from the fibula, which is the slender, non-weight-bearing bone on the lateral side.