Summary:
- Bones consist of different types of tissue, including compact bone, spongy bone, bone marrow, and periosteum.
- The basic structure of bones is bone matrix, which makes up the underlying rigid framework of bones.
- The bone matrix consists of tough protein fibers, mainly collagen, that become hard and rigid due to mineralization with calcium crystals.
- Bone matrix is crisscrossed by blood vessels and nerves and contains specialized bone cells that are actively involved in metabolic processes.
- There are three types of specialized cells in human bones: osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts.