SKELETAL SYSTEM





The skeletal system is an all connective tissue system that includes bone, cartilage, and ligament.









Protection

Whether the ribcage protecting the contents of the thoracic cavity, the skull protecting the brain, or the vertebrae protecting the spinal cord, it is indeed the hard and durable properties of bone facilitated by collagen fibers and calcified salts that makes bone a formidable protector of vital structures.


Blood Cell Production

Blood cells are produced in a soft tissue organ called bone marrow. Given marrow's vital role in producing blood cells, it make sense that it is found surrounded by bone to maximize protection.


Acid-Base Balance

The potassium phosphate salts of bone's matrix are basic salts. When bases are added to acidic substances, the acid is buffered or neutralized. Bone, therefore may play a role in managing the acidity of blood and bodily fluids.


Movement

Bones can be considered biological levers. A lever is a rigid bar that rotates around a fixed point (joint) when a force (muscles, gravity) is applied.


Mineral Storage

Calcium is a critical mineral. It is needed for nerves and muscles to function, the heart to beat, and many other bodily processes. Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in the body is stored in bone. Other critical minerals such as phosphate and carbonate are mostly stored in bone.


Detoxification

Toxic substances such as hard medals like lead may be temporarily stored in bone and slowly leached out for excretion, keeping the substances from reaching toxic levels.