
The primary cell responsible for building bone is the osteoblast. Other bones, such as the femur, are exceptionally robust and can withstand enormous force before they fracture.įrom a microanatomical perspective, bones are highly specialized connective tissue with a built-in ability to remodel based on the demands placed on them. Bones of the middle ear have minimal strength but play a role in the transmission of sound waves to the auditory organs of the inner ear. They vary in size, shape, and strength to respond to the demands of performing delicate or gross motor tasks. The reason for the variability in the number of bones is because some humans may have a varying number of ribs, vertebrae, and digits. There are typically around 270 bones in human infants, which fuse to become 206 to 213 bones in the human adult. In the event of damage, they are one of the very few organs in the body that can regenerate without an obvious scar. Bones can enlarge or become smaller, grow strong or weaker, and break when subjected to the application of excessive force.

In addition to responding to external stimuli, they can also respond to internal stimuli for mobilization of their content. In fact, resistance exercise has been shown to be a viable therapeutic option in osteosarcopenia, which is the loss of bone and muscle density due to aging. The skeletal system is capable of responding to increased stress such as during resistance training, by increasing osteogenesis, or new bone formation.

Bones are continually undergoing structural and biological change, and remodeling of bone continues throughout life based on the demands placed upon them. Besides providing shape to the human body, bones permit locomotion, motor capability, protect vital organs, facilitate breathing, play a role in homeostasis, and produce a variety of cells in the marrow critical for survival. Like other organs, bones are valuable and have many functions.

However, they truly function as an organ. Bones are often thought of as static structures which only offer structural support.
