The Skeletal System and Osteoporosis

• The skeletal system includes bones, joints, cartilage, and ligaments associated with the joints.
• Bone tissue is alive and metabolically active despite containing lots of nonliving material like calcium and phosphorus, which makes it look like it is dead.
• Skeleton comes from the Greek meaning "dried-up body"
• The skeletal system is alive and has 206 bones that perform a lot of important functions.
• The average 70-year-old replaces seven complete skeletons in their lifetime.

Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is a common bone disorder especially in postmenopausal women because of a decline in estrogen, characterized by a decline in bone-making activity and the loss of bone tissue.
• Hips, wrists, and vertebrae are affected by osteoporosis.
• Osteoporosis can affect the vertebral column, as vertebrae collapse, it pinches nerves causing pain.
• Collapsed vertebrae can cause a shortening of the vertebral column and a curvature change, impairing organ function like the lungs.
• Estrogen deprivation is not the only cause, osteoporosis is also associated with sedentary lifestyle, frequent soda consumption, long-term steroid use, and the ingestion of thyroid hormone-containing weight-reduction pills.