Structure

The Biochemistry and Physiology of Bone, Second Edition: Volume I: Structure focuses on the nature and behavior of bone cells, the structure of the organic matrix of bone, mineral organization, and bone strength. It explores the histology of bone, the pathological calcification and radiation effects on bone, particularly, the morphology and cytochemistry as well as the functional significance of osteoblasts, the mode of action of the osteoclast, the ultrastructure of bone, and the mechanical engineering problems presented by bone. Organized into nine chapters, this edition begins with an overview of the general histology of bone, including tissues related to bone and its elementary constituents. It then discusses the origin of osteoblasts, the role of the osteoclast in the mechanism whereby calcium is unlocked from the skeleton under the influence of the parathyroid hormone, and the physiological and pathological effects of vitamins and hormones on skeletal tissue in vitro. It also explains the chemical composition of bone and the chemistry of bone collagen, the relationship between bone mineral and the organic matrix, the macromolecular organization of apatite and collagen, and the examinations of bone by scanning electron microscopy. The book concludes with a chapter on the shape, strength, and elasticity of bone. This book is a valuable source of information for anatomists, orthopedists, biochemists, cell biologists, physiologists, biomedical engineers, pathologists, clinicians, graduate students, professors, and others interested in the biochemical and physiological aspects of bone.