Final answer:
The statement is true. As long as the epiphyseal plate is present, bone growth in length will continue. This plate consists of hyaline cartilage where chondrocytes multiply and are later replaced by bone, contributing to the lengthening of the bone. Longitudinal growth stops when the epiphyseal plate is fully ossified and becomes an epiphyseal line.
Step-by-step explanation:
As long as the epiphyseal plate remains between the diaphysis and the epiphysis, bone growth can indeed continue. During growth, long bones lengthen by the process of endochondral ossification, where cartilage is replaced with bone. This occurs at the epiphyseal plate, which is a layer of hyaline cartilage.
Chondrocytes (cartilage cells) multiply on the epiphyseal side of this plate, with one cell staying undifferentiated near the epiphysis while the other moves towards the diaphysis and matures. Eventually, these chondrocytes are replaced by bone through calcification, thus contributing to the lengthening of the bone.
However, once the chondrocytes cease to divide and the cartilage is completely replaced by bone, the epiphyseal plate becomes an epiphyseal line. This denotes the end of the bone's growth in length, which typically happens in early adulthood. Different hormones regulate the rate of this growth, and once they signal the end of proliferation, so concludes the bone's ability to grow longer.