Which of the following bones develops entirely by intramembranous ossification, without passing through a cartilaginous precursor stage?

• A Calcaneus
• B Vertebral body
• C Clavicle
• D Parietal bone ✓

Explanation

The flat bones of the cranial vault, including the parietal bone, ossify directly within a fibrous membrane with no cartilaginous model. The clavicle is the classic trap: it is predominantly membranous but has cartilaginous contributions at its ends, so it is not purely intramembranous. The calcaneus is a short long-type bone that ossifies in cartilage, and vertebral bodies pass through a cartilaginous stage derived from sclerotome.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy for Students, 4th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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