resistive
Additionally, the yellow marrow, which is found in the central cavity of long bones along with red marrow, serves as a storage site for fat. 42 Structurally, the femur is a long bone, meaning its length is greater than its width, while the patella, a sesamoid bone, is small and round. Functionally, the femur acts as a lever, while the patella protects the patellar tendon from compressive forces. 44 The densely packed concentric rings of matrix in compact bone are ideal for resisting compressive forces, which is the function of compact bone. The open spaces of the trabeculated network of spongy bone allow spongy bone to support shifts in weight distribution, which is the function of spongy bone. 46 A single primary ossification center is present, during endochondral ossification, deep in the periosteal collar. Like the primary ossification center, secondary ossification centers are present during endochondral ossification, but they form later, and there are two of them, one in each epiphysis. 48 The internal callus is produced by cells in the endosteum and is composed of a fibrocartilaginous matrix. The external callus is produced by cells in the periosteum and consists of hyaline cartilage and bone. 50 Astronauts floating in space were not exerting significant pressure on their bones; they were weightless. Without the force of gravity exerting pressure on the bones, bone mass was lost. To alleviate this condition, astronauts now do resistive exercise designed to apply forces to the bones and thus help keep them healthy. 52 Under normal conditions, receptors in the parathyroid glands bind blood calcium. When the receptors are full, the parathyroid gland stops secreting PTH. In the condition described, the parathyroid glands are not responding to the signal that there is sufficient calcium in the blood and they keep releasing PTH, which causes the bone to release more calcium into the blood. Ultimately, the bones become fragile and hypercalcemia can result.