What Are Bones Made Of?

“Thank goodness it’s only a fracture. I thought it might be broken.” People often think that a fracture is less severe than a broken bone, but fractures are broken bones.

To understand why bones break, it helps to know what bones do and what they are made of. The bones of the body form the human frame, or skeleton, which supports and protects the softer parts of the body. Bones are living tissue. They grow rapidly during one’s early years, and renew themselves when they are broken.

Bones have a center called the marrow, which is softer than the outer part of the bone. Bone marrow has cells that develop into red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of the body and into white blood cells that help fight disease. Bones also contain the minerals calcium and phosphorus. These minerals are combined in a crystal-like or latticework structure. Because of their unique structure, bones can bear large amounts of weight. Read More.

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