They are anything but!
Like all tissues, bones are alive and composed of specialized, very active tissues. In addition, they store calcium, an element critical to growth and homeostasis.
Also, during the course of evolution, the bone marrow, which is where red and white blood cells are formed, migrated here (hence its name) from other locations, notably the spleen. Why? Well, young blood cells are mitotically very active and therefore extremely sensitive to environmental factors. "Tucking them away" in the safest place possible makes sense!
Of course the skeleton provides the basic framework upon which our muscles act and into which our other organs are packed. But it is so much more!
No comments:
Post a Comment