Osteoporosis is the medical term used when there is excessive loss of protein and mineral content, in particular calcium. The term literally means "porous bones". The bone mass becomes decreased as the structure breaks down and then the bone becomes extremely fragile.
Bone constantly renews itself in a two stage process. In the resorption stage, cells called osteoclasts break down and remove the old bone. In the formation stage, cells called ostoblasts build new bone.
Until a human's mid 30s more bone is produced than removed, when it reaches its maxiumum mass and strength. Thereafter the skeleton slowly declines. Osteoporosis is the acceleration of this decline either by increased aging process or due to disease or prolonged use of certain medications.
Osteoporosis is very much a disease of our time. It affects nearly half the population over the age of 75. Women tend to develop the disease more than men as they lose bone mass more rapidly after menopause due to the lack of estrogen.
This theme is interesting to me as I find the concept of deconstruction quite interesting having studied it in Year 1. The skeleton is the structure to the human form and studying the make up of the bone allows us to see the structure within the structure. Osteoporosis causes
deconstruction of this underlying form.
It is a silent disease, going un-noticed usually until the patient takes a fall and breaks a bone. This idea of the degradation of structure to its most minimal level before collapse is what intrigues me. On studying pictures of this degradation it is apparent that the more simplified the form becomes the more refined, beautiful and delicate it appears yet there is something underlying that makes it repulsive as this beauty causes immense pain and suffering to its carrier. I find this dichotomy intriguing ... that there is beauty in pain and suffering.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/osteoporosis
http://www.osteoporosis.org.au/osteo_osteoporosis.php
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