Biology Questions

Group Members:
Nayeli Reyes
Brayan Mejia
Wilma Cabrera
Kyle Lozano
Kiwani Lopez
#4
 Ligaments contain a great deal of elastin, a
protein that an stretch and return to its
original length. Tendons have mostly
collagen and very little elastin. How does
the composition of these types of
connective tissue reflect their function?
 Answer
 Tendons are non-elastic because they transmit
contractile movement of a muscle to move a
bone at joint. As a result, they are generally non-
elastic to prevent loss of energy.
 Ligaments connect bone to bone. They are
composed mostly of elastin fibers that create
bands of tough, fibrous connective tissue.
Ligaments are elastic, so they can be stretched
and gradually lengthen, increasing flexibility.
#5
 By the time you are twenty years old,
most of your bones will stop growing.
However, you will continue to need
calcium. Why do you think this is so?
 Answer
 Your body also needs calcium (as well as phosphorus) to make
healthy bones. Bones are the main storage site of calcium in the
body.
 Your body cannot make calcium. The body only gets the calcium it
needs through the food you eat, or from supplements. If you do
not get enough calcium in your diet, or if your body does not
absorb enough calcium, your bones can get weak or will not grow
properly.
 Your skeleton (bones) are a living organ. Bones are constantly
being remodeled with old bone being resorbed and new
bone being formed. It takes about 10 years for all the bone in
your body to be renewed. That is why paying attention to
bone health is important in adults and not just in growing
children.
#6
 Why do humans do not have a
cartilage like sharks?
 Answer
 Sharks do not have bones like other fish. Instead, they
have a softer tissue called cartilage which is much
lighter than bones and helps them to swim faster.
 Even more, the flexibility of cartilage gives sharks the
capability to bend more elastically than boned fishes.
 Cartilage is a resilient and smooth elastic tissue, a
rubber-like padding that covers and protects the ends
of long bones at the joints, and is a structural
component of the rib cage, the ear, the nose,
the bronchial tubes, the intervertebral discs, and many
other body components. It is not as hard and rigid
as bone, but it is much stiffer and much less flexible
than muscle.