Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Why do bones remain for centuries after a person dies?

Bones are made of two main materials: calcium salts make bones hard, and collagen fibers make them strong but also a bit flexible. After death the collagen rots away, leaving just the durable hard parts behind. In life, the bones of a person's skeleton support the body and protect its internal organs.

  • Because bones endure after death, skeletons - and the skull and crossbones - have for centuries been symbols of disease, danger, and death.
  • Your "funny bone" isn't a bone at all; it's a spot on the outer bit of your elbow that, if you hit or knock it, gives you a weird tingly pain. This is because the ulnar nerve crosses the bone at that point.
  • Human and giraffes have the same number of neck bones, or cervical vertebrae. They both have seven, although each of the giraffe's vertebrae are much longer!
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