Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Bone Balance
04 November 2012

Bone Balance

Our bones are constantly being recycled to keep them healthy. One type of cell in the bone breaks it down and another reforms it – a balance controlled by the brain, via networks of nerves running through our body. The sympathetic nervous system – the network responsible for immediate actions such as sweating and quickening the heart – restricts bone tissue formation, whereas the parasympathetic system – responsible for long-term actions such as digestion – is thought to stimulate it. Parasympathetic nerves, and receptors (seen here dyed red in a bone cell, called an osteoclast, from a mouse) have only recently been found in bone tissue. Understanding the balance is important for research into diseases such as osteoporosis, which is caused by excessive bone tissue loss, usually in later life, creating a high risk of fractures.

Written by Mick Warwicker

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.