Bone is living, dynamic tissue that affects three main functions of the body: skeletal homeostasis (providing structure to house the internal organs as well as a system of pulleys and levers to move the body), mineral homeostasis (storing and releasing ions), and hematopoiesis (accommodating the machinery of blood cell formation). As living tissue, bone is in a state of continuous flux and renewal; osteoclastsresorb bone, and osteoblasts create new bone. This process allows ions to be released and stored. It also repairs areas of structural damage. Most bone forms according to the cartilage model, a process called endochondral ossification. The...
