91
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
H. Ehrlich, Biological Materials of Marine Origin, Biologically- Inspired Systems 4,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5730-1_3
Chapter 3
Biocomposites and Mineralized Tissues
3.1 Bone
Abstract The skeletal system of marine vertebrates includes cartilage and bone.
Variations in the densities and composition in the bones of marine vertebrates may
be related to adaptations for buoyancy and locomotion, or to habitat or phylogeny.
Several bone types like cellular and acellular, dermal, perichondral and endochodral
bones are discussed in this chapter. Endochondral bone is cancellous endosteal bone
formed during growth by a process involving the destructive replacement of cartilage. Special attention is payed to giant endochondral bones of whale origin. Some
whale bones are known for their specifi c properties like high porosity, oil storage,
hypermineralization, and high bone density. The strength and fl exibility of whale
bones makes them an excellent construction material, and they were used for this
purpose in ancient Arctic cultures.
Bones represent a family of biological materials with complex, hierarchically
organized architecture. These diverse mineralized structures are excellently adapted to
the variety of mechanical functions and stresses (Weiner et al. 1999 ; Beniash 2011 ).
According to modern point of view, “bone is specifi c to vertebrates, and originated
as mineralization around the basal membrane of the throat or skin, giving rise to
tooth-like structures and protective shields in animals with a soft cartilage- like
endoskeleton” (Obradovic-Wagner and Aspenberg 2011 ). In his excellent monograph, John Long ( 1995 ) described the origin and diversity of bone structures which
I will now briefl y summarize. Bone can be examined as the calcifi ed tissue that
supports the skeleton, external or internal, of vertebrates and shows a broad variety
of mechanical adaptations at nano- and microscales (Currey 1984 , 2002 ; Weiner
and Wagner 1998 ; Fratzl et al. 2004 ). A functionally important mechanical property
of bones is stiffness, both in the whole element sense and in the material sense
(Horton and Summers 2009 ). Main components of bone include hydroxylapatite
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
H. Ehrlich, Biological Materials of Marine Origin, Biologically- Inspired Systems 4,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5730-1_3
Chapter 3
Biocomposites and Mineralized Tissues
3.1 Bone
Abstract The skeletal system of marine vertebrates includes cartilage and bone.
Variations in the densities and composition in the bones of marine vertebrates may
be related to adaptations for buoyancy and locomotion, or to habitat or phylogeny.
Several bone types like cellular and acellular, dermal, perichondral and endochodral
bones are discussed in this chapter. Endochondral bone is cancellous endosteal bone
formed during growth by a process involving the destructive replacement of cartilage. Special attention is payed to giant endochondral bones of whale origin. Some
whale bones are known for their specifi c properties like high porosity, oil storage,
hypermineralization, and high bone density. The strength and fl exibility of whale
bones makes them an excellent construction material, and they were used for this
purpose in ancient Arctic cultures.
Bones represent a family of biological materials with complex, hierarchically
organized architecture. These diverse mineralized structures are excellently adapted to
the variety of mechanical functions and stresses (Weiner et al. 1999 ; Beniash 2011 ).
According to modern point of view, “bone is specifi c to vertebrates, and originated
as mineralization around the basal membrane of the throat or skin, giving rise to
tooth-like structures and protective shields in animals with a soft cartilage- like
endoskeleton” (Obradovic-Wagner and Aspenberg 2011 ). In his excellent monograph, John Long ( 1995 ) described the origin and diversity of bone structures which
I will now briefl y summarize. Bone can be examined as the calcifi ed tissue that
supports the skeleton, external or internal, of vertebrates and shows a broad variety
of mechanical adaptations at nano- and microscales (Currey 1984 , 2002 ; Weiner
and Wagner 1998 ; Fratzl et al. 2004 ). A functionally important mechanical property
of bones is stiffness, both in the whole element sense and in the material sense
(Horton and Summers 2009 ). Main components of bone include hydroxylapatite