ABSTRACT
Bone Mineralization The skeleton is a complex, metabolically active tissue that serves multiple physiological functions. However, its most important purpose is to maintain normal stature and locomotion by virtue of its hardness. This quality is conferred by a unique arrangement of a calcium/phosphorus-containing mineral called hydroxyapatite embedded in a protein matrix composed predominately of type 1 collagen (90+%). The matrix also contains a large number of noncollagenous proteins, some of which are unique to bone. Altogether, the mineral and protein components confer both hardness and exibility, which minimizes brittleness.
