Bone
There are 206 named bones in the human body. The bones consist of: 70% inorganic compounds, mainly calcium phosphate; 30% organic materials, mainly osteoblasts and osteoclasts; and collagen. The organic and inorganic material can form into a solid compact bone, or a light weight, cancellous bone. The combination of compact and cancellous bones maximizes the strength, and minimizes the weight, of the skeletal system.
Bones can be classified by placement: axial or appendicular; or by shape: long, short, flat, or irregular.
Bones develop in two ways: by endochondral ossification or intramembranous ossification. Endochondral ossification is exemplified by the ends of long bones while intramembranous ossification occurs in shafts of such bones.
The bones act as a storage area for calcium phosphorus. These minerals can be released by osteoclasts, which break down the bone. Bone is replaced or built by osteoblasts.
Bone contains two types of marrow: yellow and red. Yellow marrow is mainly found in the long bones and is principally composed of fat. Red marrow is highly vascularized tissue; it functions as one of the main areas for the production of red blood cells and white blood cells.
References
Gray, H. 1977. Gray's Anatomy. Crown Publishers, Inc, New York. 1257 pp.
Lockhart, R. D., G. F. Hamilton, et. al. 1974. Anatomy of The Human Body. Faber and Faber Limited. London. 697 pp.
Van Amerongen, C. The Way Things Work; Book Of The Body. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1979.
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