Bones
Dr. furqan iftikhar (RPH)
pharm D
sarhad university peshawar
Bone
• Bone is the one-third connective tissue, forming the main supporting framework
of the body (body skeleton).
• It is made up of varied composition, that is about 30% flexible matrix and 70%
bound minerals that are embedded with specialized bone cells
• The scientific study of bones is known as Osteology.
Bone cells
• Bones are not static tissue but need constant maintenance and remodeling. There are
three main cell types.
a) Osteoblasts large cuboidal cells that form about 4-6% of the total bone cells.
synthesise and mineralise bone during bone synthesis and remodelling.
It produces many cellular products such as alkaline phosphatase, growth factors,
collagenase and collagen fibres.
b) Osteocytes- most abundant and long living cells of the bone. They also take part in
bone deposition, resorption and remodelling They communicate with other bone cells
and help support metabolic functions within the bone.
c) Osteoclasts are large cells with more than one nucleus. The major function of these
cells is bone resorption.
Osteoclasts help remodel injured bones and create pathways for nerves and blood
vessels to travel through.
Types Of Bones:
• A. Types of bone on the basis of shape:
• 1. Long bones,
• 2. Short bones,
• 3. Flat bones,
• 4. Irregular bones,
• 5. Pneumatic bones,
• 6. Sesamoid bones.
• Long Bones •
• A long bone is one that is cylindrical in shape, being longer than it is
wide.
• These bones typically have an elongated shaft and two expanded ends
one on either side of the shaft. The shaft is known as diaphysis and the
ends are called epiphyses.
• Long bones are found in the arms (humerus, ulna, radius) and legs
(femur, tibia, fibula), as well as in the fingers (metacarpals, phalanges)
and toes (metatarsals, phalanges).
• Long bones function as levers; they move when muscles contract.
• Short Bones
• A short bone is one that are short in posture and can be of any shape,
being approximately equal in length, width, and thickness.
• The only short bones in the human skeleton are in the carpals of the
wrists and the tarsals of the ankles.
• Short bones provide stability and support as well as some limited
motion.
Flat Bones
• A “flat bone” is typically thin, it is also often curved.
• Examples include the cranial (skull) bones, the scapulae (shoulder
blades), the sternum, and the ribs.
• Flat bones serve as points of attachment for muscles and often protect
internal organs.
Irregular Bones
An irregular bone is one that does not have any easily characterized
shape and therefore does not fit any other classification.
These bones tend to have more complex shapes, like the vertebrae that
support the spinal cord and protect it from compressive forces.
Hip bone
Sesamoid Bones
A sesamoid bone is a small, round bone that, as the name suggests, is
shaped like a sesame seed.
These bones form in tendons (the sheaths of tissue that connect bones to
muscles) where a great deal of pressure is generated in a joint.
The sesamoid bones protect tendons by helping them overcome
compressive forces.
The patellae (singular = patella) a sesamoid bones found in common
with every person.
Pneumatic Bones:
Pneumatic bones can also be categorized under the irregular bones.
The characteristic difference is the presence of large air spaces in these
bones which make them light in weight and thus they form the major
portion of skull
Examples: Sphenoid, Ethmoid, Maxila etc.
FUNCTIONS OF BONES
Our bones perform following functions:
• Support. Bones provide a framework that supports the body and cradles its soft
organs. For example, bones of the lower limbs act as pillars to support the trunk
body when we stand, and the rib cage supports the thoracic wall.
• Protection. The fused bones of the skull protect the brain. and the rib cage helps
protect the vital organs of the thorax.
• Movement. Skeletal muscles, which attach to bones by tendons, use bones as
levers to move the body and its parts. As a result, we can walk, grasp objects, and
breath. The design of joints determines the types of movements possible.
• Mineral and growth factor storage. Bone is a reservoir for minerals, most
importantly calcium and phosphate.
• Blood cell formation. Most blood cell formation, or hematopoiesis, occurs in
the marrow cavities of certain bones.
