Skeletal System Lab Report

Haleigh Carter

This lab report addresses bone matrix, pressure and force, and homeostasis
imbalances. The bones are made up of two different types of connective tissue. One of
the types are spongy tissue, which is filled with bone marrow. This spongy tissue makes
up the interior of bones. There are sheets of this tissue, which is called trabeculae.
Although only being a few layers thick, the spaces contain a lot of red marrow. The
other type of tissue is the compact bone tissue. This is filled with inorganic salts, with
tiny spaces. These tiny spaces are called osteocytes. The compact bone makes up 80
percent of the skeleton. An example of labeled bone tissue is found in figure 1 below.
Below in table one are the results of a lab contrasting the differences between a normal
bone, a bone with a lot of collagen, and a bone with a lot of salt. The inorganic salt is
what makes the bone hard, while the collagen provides the bone with flexibility.
Removing collagen results in brittle bones, or osteoporosis. Removing collagen results
in super flexible and rubbery bones, or osteomalacia. To maintain healthy bones, there
must be an equal distribution of collagen and salts.
Pressure a measure of the force acting on an area. To find pressure, force must
be divided by area. Force is a push or pull that an object undergoes with another object.
In table 2, figure 2, and table 3, the lab performed about pressure and force is depicted.
In table 2, the results are shown of the variance of forces with different shoes and
actions such as walking or running. In figure 2, the average of the results was
calculated, and put into a graph. The average is labeled in Pascals, because that is the
pressure unit. A graph is shown in figure 3 of exactly when the foot hits the pressure
plate, and the amount of force that is being put on it. This is how pressure was
calculated. During the lab, students stood, walked, ran, or jumped on the pressure plate
and then calculated their surface area by tracing their foot on graph paper. To calculate
pressure, force must be divided by the surface area. The pressure consists of how
much force the bones in the feet apply on the pressure scale. These bones in the feet
vary from person to person, and this is how force, area, and pressure is found.
Homeostasis imbalance is when the body has an imbalance and is unable to stay
in equilibrium. Diseases can be formed from homeostasis imbalance. In figure 4, an
osteoporosis infographic is shown. Osteoporosis is also the result of too much inorganic
salt in the bone. When dealing with osteoporosis, the bones go through a remodeling
cycle, which is shown in the infographic. In a normal bone remodeling cycle, osteoblasts
form new bone cy secreting collagen and inorganic salts. In this cycle, osteoclasts break
down the bone faster than osteoblasts can create new bone. This leads to an
imbalance, also known as a homeostatic imbalance. In a healthy skeletal system, bone
tissue is broken down and replaced. During osteoporosis new bone is created, but the
old bone doesnt break down quick enough. In figure 4, the changes over time of the
bones is shown when osteoporosis takes over.

Figure 1: Bone matrix histology slide. Slide of connective tissue identifying parts of bone
tissue.

Table 1: Bone matrix data table. Results from a bone matrix lab showing differences in
inorganic salts and collagen in bones.
Type of Bone Normal Vinegar Soaked Cooked Bone
Bone

Collagen Yes Yes No

Inorganic Salt Yes No Yes

Disease None Osteomalacia Osteoporosis

Characteristics Normal Rubbery, soft Brittle, dry

Table 2: Pressure and force data table. Results from a bone force variance lab depicting
the force and pressure from walking and running in different shoes.
Walk Run

Barefoot Left 2.561 Pa 5.000 Pa

Barefoot Right 2.358 Pa 5.190 Pa

Heels Left 2.336 Pa 4.592 Pa

Heels Right 2.070 Pa 4.063 Pa

Boots Left 2.588 Pa 4.778 Pa

 Boots Right 2.014 Pa 4.429 Pa

Figure 2: Bar graph of the average from the bone force variance lab. The average from
each trial was calculated and put into a bar graph, with shoe type and Pascal's labeled.

Figure 3: Force graph from bone variance lab. Graph depicting the force and timing of
when the foot left the pressure plate.
Figure 4: Infographic over osteoporosis. The infographic includes the symptoms, risk
factors, and the process of osteporosis.

Future questions that could be addressed are about homeostatic imbalances, and
osteoporosis remodeling and how exactly do they line up with each other in the bones.

Citations

Kanis, J., Black, D., Cooper, C., Dargent, P., Dawson-Hughes, B., De Laet, C., et al.
(2002). A new approach to the development of assessment guidelines for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis International, 13(7), 527-536.

Prevention, O. (2000). Diagnosis, and Therapy. NIH consensus statement, 17(1), 1-36.

Riggs, B. L., & Melton III, L. J. (1986). Involutional osteoporosis. New England journal of
medicine, 314(26), 1676-1686.