Structure
For many people they perceive the skeleton as a dead and inanimate part of the body, a bit like internal scaffolding. While it’s true it is internal scaffolding it is alive and is continually being replaced. The entire skeleton is replaced every 7 or so years so you might have 12 different skeletons over your life. If you doubt it is alive, just break a bone and you’ll experience excruciating pain because the bones have nerves just as every other form of tissue.
There is alot of talk about maintaining bone density, particularly among women in thier late 40s and later as the bones may become thinner and more fragile with age.
The bone is essentially a collection of tubular structures and minerals. Bones comprise of the following types of tissue – marrow, endosteum and periosteum, nerves, blood vessels and cartilage. There are 206 bones in the adult human body and about 300 in an infant.
- Osteoblasts are bone-forming cells that are located on the surface of osteoid seams and make a protein mixture known as osteoid, which mineralizes to become bone.
- Osteoclasts are the cells responsible for bone resorption (remodelling of bone to reduce its volume).
The life of a bone is dictated by the fine balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. One creates new bone and one removes old bone past it’s sell-by date. Now drugs given to elderly women who are at risk of low bone density and fractures are give drugs that effectively stop the functioning of Osteoclasts (the cells that remove old bone cells). Now their reasoning, however flawed, is that by not taking away old bone cells that the bones will become more dense because they contain more calcium. Now while that may be true the sad truth is that the bones rely on the tubular structures for strength much more than they do on the presence of dead bone cells and calcium. Let me use an analogy – have you ever tried to break a branch off a living beech tree – it is almost impossible because the cells in the structure are alive and flexible and it is almost impossible. However, pick up a branch that’s been lying on the ground for a year or more and it is relatively fragile and can be snapped with ease. This is what happens to bones that are abnormally made dense by blocking the actions of the Osteoclasts. You need living cells and good structure to avoid having fragile bones.
The individual bones are held together with ligaments and the muscles attached to the bones by tendons.
Steps to Healthy Bones
- eat fresh food and leafy green vegetables – highest in calcium content. Milk and dairy products are not the best form of calcium.
- take regular walks – repeated impact exercise strengthens bones.
- drink plenty of water – water is a primary lubricant for the joints and sinews.
- if you think you may have weak bones start very gentle exercise
