Can anyone explain ossification to me?
816204
Ossification is the process of bone formation, in which connective tissues, such as cartilage are turned to bone or bone-like tissue. The ossified tissue is invaginated with blood vessels. These blood vessels bring minerals like calcium and deposit it in the ossifying tissue. It is thought that this process led to bone as a structural element in vertebrates. Minerals were deposited in cartilage, which was used for storage. Bone was thus an exaptation from the ossified cartilage
1028168
It is when the density of your bone degenerates.  Added calcium (Tums is a good calcium supplement) will help to prevent further degeneration.
973901
osteology-study of bones
1019354
hullo\nostiosites are calcium accumulations on bony sites as the joints,due to previous trauma or aging process.\ncan be treated by surgery or physiotherapy.\n\n\nDr.solo
1050716
Weight bearing excercise increases the size of bone at the joints, not bone overall. But even more importantly, the cranial bones are made up of a different type of bone.
1140665
When you force your soft bones with weight lifting they are forced to accelerate the calcification process and as a result you won't grow as tall as you were genetically destined to be. It's supposed for men to grow until you reach 21 years old. You would be loosing a good part of those 10 years of growth.
68939
Do u think people have time to explain this complicated answer here?\n\nIts a site for FUN not to explore your medical knowledge.\n\nAsk any Orthopedic surgeon, he can explain u better.\n\nSorry for offending u.
1042397
Well it may depend if your bones are done growing, usually at your age they are but sometimes they still have a inch or so in reserve.\nThe bones are made initially of cartilage which can grow but once the cartilage has been replaced by thick bone it cannot grow anymore and the growth stops this happens though puberty \nUsually when people reach puberty the sexual hormones (estrogen in women and testosterone in men) increase the rate of growth but the also make the bones harder so the make you to stop growing earlier.\nIf you still have some cartilage in your growing plates (parts where the bone still can grow) it means that you can grow a little more, sometimes your physician can help you with growth hormone but usually that´s only used as a last resort.\nif you're done growing hormones would do more harm than good so please don´'t use them unless your doctor prescribes them to you.\nBut my final advice is to be happy as you are, we come in all colors and sizes so there´s no need to change as  long as we are healthy.\nand by the way in the future you´ll love to look younger than what you really are (like when you are in your 30´s) and that´s one of the rewards for the petites
88170
Lots of links to bones related sites including lecture notes\ncan be found at:\nhttp://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/9893/osteolinks.html
253494
Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a congenital disease (blue sclera disease like the person above said). this is a condition resulting from abnormality in the type I collagen, and commonly manifests as brittle easily breakable bones. \n\nLike the people above said osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder people have decreased bone mass and deterioration of bone architecture. Usually people with this have fragile bones and an increased risk for fracture with even minimal trauma. Good luck with your report.
839782
From what I have found (which wasn't much) it seems to be a surgical procedure.  I will add the sites I have looked at but the are very technical and aimed at surgeons.\nI hope they will be of some help to you.
1057032
It is highly unlikely because the epiphyses of long bones have fused by this age so as not to allow further growth. But there are little exceptions...mystery....I don't know...individuals are unique and so are their bodies. /PEACE
958759
At birth the human body has about 350 bones, but by the time adulthood rolls around, some of our bones have fused together to give us a total of 206 bones in our body!\n\nHere is the breakdown:\n\nThe adult skeleton consists of 206 bones . . . \n\n- 28 skull bones (8 cranial, 14 facial, and 6 ear bones); \n\n- the horseshoe-shaped hyoid bone of the neck; \n\n- 26 vertebrae (7 cervical or neck, 12 thorax, 5 lumbar or loins, the sacrum which is five fused vertebrae, and the coccyx, our vestigial tail, which is four fused vertebrae);\n\n- 24 ribs plus the sternum or breastbone; the shoulder girdle (2 clavicles, the most frequently fractured bone in the body, and 2 scapulae); \n\n- the pelvic girdle (2 fused bones); \n\n- 30 bones in our arms and legs (a total of 120); \n\n- There are also a few partial bones, ranging from 8-18 in number, which are related to joints.
560031
there exists no "perfect symetry" in the body. one leg is always longer than the other, one ear bigger, even one kidney is smaller than its mate. i'd say you're "normal"!!
818653
Try this website:\n\nhttp://www.theboneman.com/bonebuilding.html
715789
Actually, as an xray tech, they do one of your wrist and your hand.  You have 8 bones in your wrist. These are the carpal bones.  Most babies aren't born with them so they develop over time.  If they see your carpal bones are or aren't developed that can tell you how far ahead you are in growth/how far behind you are. They use those body parts and compare them to the normal for someone your exact age.  It's just a uniform part of the anatomy from an xray standpoint.  It will be of your left hand and/or wrist and is most likely called a Bone Age Study.  Probably the easiest xray u will ever have. all you do is sit there with your hand on the table :)
571335
Cartilage is much more flexible and pliable as compared to bone.In some cases it may also appear translucent when held up to a strong light source.As the others have said,cartilage wont last as long as bone.so if the skeleton is really old then it probably is bone.On the other hand if it is new then look for flexibility and translucency.