luustoa

Luustoa is the Finnish term for the skeletal system, the internal framework of the vertebrate body that provides structure, protection, and movement. It includes the bones, cartilage, ligaments, joints, and the bone marrow within certain bones. The bones themselves are dynamic tissues that constantly renew through the actions of osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts. They store minerals, especially calcium and phosphate, and participate in hormonal regulation of mineral balance.

The adult human skeleton typically consists of 206 bones, divided into the axial skeleton (skull, vertebral column, rib cage) and the appendicular skeleton (limbs and girdles). Bones come in shapes and sizes: long bones (femur, humerus), short bones (carpals, tarsals), flat bones (sternum, ribs, skull bones), and irregular bones (vertebrae, some facial bones). Joints between bones are connected by ligaments and may be immovable, slightly movable, or freely movable.

Bone growth occurs during development at growth plates (epiphyseal plates) and continues via remodeling throughout life. Endochondral and intramembranous ossification are the primary formation processes. Blood cells are produced in bone marrow, primarily in cancellous (spongy) bone of the axial skeleton and in certain long bones.

Common health concerns include fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and other metabolic or genetic bone disorders. Adequate nutrition (calcium, vitamin D) and physical activity support healthy bone development and maintenance. In medicine and anthropology, the study of luustoa is osteology.