• Question: why do our bones break ???

    Asked by anon-2874 to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Hello Kate,
      Bones break because if they get knocked hard enough, then the force can break the bonds between the atoms in the bone, and cause the bone to fracture or break. Just how much force it needed to break a bone depends on the number of bonds there are, which is related to the bone density. People with osteoporosis have a low bone density, so their bones break very easily.

      A few years ago, some scientists at Yale University in America discovered a family which has a mutation which meant that they had really high bone density. Their bones were so strong that they were almost impossible to break. Now scientists are looking at why their bones are like that, to see if they can mimic it in people with osteoporosis and make their bones stronger.

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      If you take a stick, you can easily snap it in half, right? Well, bones are basically just like sticks. They’re stronger but still, if you put too much pressure on them, or if they take a really hard impact, they will break just like a stick would.

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