Bone: a primer
In the first of a new series of medical primers for The Cure, we look at the origins and make-up of bones.
Bone is a living tissue that provides a framework for our muscles and protects vital organs. While bone is rigid, it is not static, and is constantly being broken down and reformed allowing it to respond to changes in the body’s weight and calcium needs.
The mineralisation of tissue began hundreds of millions of years ago, when organisms deposited calcium phosphate stores in their skin. The genetic machinery for this mineralisation was later co-opted to toughen the cartilaginous skeleton of our fish ancestors, a necessary adaptation for their eventual leap to land.
Watch The Cure on Monday: 2230; Tuesday: 0930; Wednesday: 0330; Thursday: 1630; Friday: 2230; |
