Importance Of Bone

Bone tissue is the structural and supportive connective tissue of the body. Another name for it is the osseous tissue. The human body has 206 bones which all have different functions within the body. There are 126 bones in the appendicular skeleton which are arms, legs, and trunk. The axial skeleton has 80 bones which are the head and the vertebrate. The role of bones help moves the body and give it shape. Important functions of the bone are support, protection, movement, mineral and growth factor storage, blood cell formation, fat storage, and hormone production (Marieb, Hoehn pp. 175). Bones support the body and keep the organs in place. Without the support, we would not be able to move our limbs. Bones protect the softer parts of our body such as the skull protects the brain. With the movement of the bones, we are able to walk, carry heavy boxes, and any other activities we wish to do. The minerals that are needed are calcium and phosphate. Calcium increases blood supply and phosphate builds and repairs bones, help nerves function, and make muscles contract. Blood cell formation happens in the red marrow. The blood cell’s job is to transport oxygen becoming carbon dioxide into the lungs.

Without enough, our body cannot shape enough of the hormone calcitriol. Additional factors are previous bone fractures after minor falls, being under or over weight, being a smoker, drinking a lot of alcohol, and other medical conditions. There are no symptoms for osteoporosis which is why it is called a “silent disease”. To diagnose osteoporosis, the person will feel severe pain described as sharp or dull. The pain usually stops after 4-6 weeks. Depending on how many times the bone has been fractured, the pain can be persistent. To check for healthy bones, there are bone mineral density tests. A bone density test determines if osteoporosis is