Final answer:
The replacement of cartilaginous structures with bone is known as endochondral ossification, a critical process for skeletal development involving osteoblasts that replace hyaline cartilage with bone tissue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The replacement of cartilaginous structures with bone is called endochondral ossification. This process is essential for the formation of long bones and other structures during the growth and development of the human body. During endochondral ossification, hyaline cartilage serves as a template and is gradually replaced by bone tissue.
Osteoblasts are the cells responsible for producing the new bone material that replaces the cartilage. This occurs through two main methods: intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification. The former involves the development of bone from fibrous membranes, while the latter pertains to the replacement of hyaline cartilage with bone. Bone growth is typically complete by age 25, but bone remodeling and repair continue throughout life, involving the resorption of old bone by osteoclasts and deposition of new bone by osteoblasts.