In the construction of the human body, it would appear essential, in the first place, to provide some dense and solid texture capable of giving support and attachment to the softer parts of the frame, and at the same time to protect in closed cavities the more important vital organs; and such a structure we find provided in the various bones, which form what is called the Skeleton. Bone is one of the hardest structures of the animal body; it possesses also a certain degree of toughness and elasticity. Its colour, in a fresh state, is of a pinkish white externally, and deep red within. Chemical analysis resolves bone into an organic , or animal, and an inorganic , or earthy material, intimately combined together; the animal matter giving to bone its elasticity and toughness, the earthy part its hardness and solidity. The animal constituent may be separated from the earthy, by steeping bone in a dilute solution of nitric or muriatic acid: by this process the earthy constituents are gradually dissolved out, leaving a. tough semi-transparent substance which retains, in every respect, the original form of the bone. This is often called cartilage, but differs from it in being softer, more flexible, and, when boiled under a high pressure, it is almost entirely resolved into gelatine. The earthy constituent may be obtained by subjecting a bone to strong heat in an open fire with free access of air. By these means, the animal matter is entirely consumed, the earthy part remaining as a white brittle substance still preserving the original shape of the bone. (from http://about-osteology.net/)
Categories:
