5.1: Introduction to Bone Tissue and the Skeletal System

Chapter Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

• List and describe the functions of bones
• Describe the classes of bones
• Discuss the process of bone formation and development
• Explain how bone repairs itself after a fracture
• Discuss the effects of exercise, nutrition, and hormones on bone tissues

We have learned much about our extinct hominin relatives and solved many murder cases based on skeletal remains. Why do bones last so long after death? Depending on the environmental conditions bones can last anywhere from a few years to hundreds of years after death due to the slow decay of the mineralized collagen that forms their basic structure. If bones are completely buried in certain materials, like volcanic ash, soon after death they can become fossilized and remain for millions of years! Unlike a fossil skeleton, however, your skeleton is a structure of living tissue that grows, repairs, and renews itself. The bones within it are dynamic and complex organs that serve a number of important functions, including some necessary to maintain homeostasis.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The Paris Catacombs. Due to public health concerns stemming from the cemeteries in Paris, starting in 1785 the remains were dug up and transferred to underground tunnels of an abandoned quarry outside the city limits, a practice that continued through 1860 as the city expanded. Visitors could access the ossuary starting in 1809, so to make it more attractive the bones were organized and arranged. The site is now part of the Museums of Paris, with an audio tour and a gift shop. (Image credit: "The Paris Catacombs - 30 June 2015" by Joe deSousa, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Contributors and Attributions

• OpenStax Anatomy & Physiology (CC BY 4.0). Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology