ABSTRACT
Materials ................................................................................................. 179 5.4 Future Directions ............................................................................................................... 182 References ..................................................................................................................................... 182
5.1.1 Properties and Structure of Bone
Bone is a living and growing tissue that forms the endoskeleton of vertebrates. The main functions of bone are protection of internal organs, support of physiological stresses and strains, storage of calcium and phosphorus, hematopoiesis (or production of blood cells in the bone marrow), acid-base balance by absorbing or releasing alkaline salts to buffer the blood for excessive pH changes, and detoxication of the body by the removal of heavy metals from the blood [1].
