OSSOS

Ossos is the Portuguese plural noun for bone (osso). In anatomy, ossos are the rigid structures that form the skeleton of vertebrates. They are composed of mineralized connective tissue and work together with muscles to support the body, protect internal organs, and enable movement. Bone tissue includes compact cortical bone and spongy cancellous bone, with bone marrow inside certain bones that produces blood cells. Bone development occurs through ossification, including intramembranous and endochondral processes, and ongoing remodeling involves osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes to balance formation and resorption throughout life.

In culture, Ossos is also the title of a 1997 Portuguese drama film directed by Pedro Costa. Filmed in black and white, the film is set in the Fontainhas district of Lisbon and follows the lives of residents of Cape Verdean origin as they navigate poverty and social marginalization. It is noted for its austere, observational style, long takes, and restrained dialogue, and is regarded as an important work in contemporary Portuguese cinema and a defining piece in Costa’s body of work, illustrating themes of marginalization, memory, and urban life.

Thus, Ossos primarily denotes bones in anatomical contexts, while as a proper noun it is associated with cinema and cultural references, most notably the 1997 Costa film.