Your femur bone is stronger than concrete

16 Jun 2021

Your femur bone is stronger than concrete

Your femur bone is stronger than concreteThe femurs, the human thigh bones, are the longest bones in the body. And your femur bone is stronger than concrete! The femur is more than 4 times stronger than a steel rod of the same weight.

The femur bones support our entire body weight. Hence, they have to be very strong.

Structurally, our bones may not be stronger than steel but it is more complex than a steel rod of the same weight and usefulness.  It is made up of living tissues and has a matrix that is comprised of calcium hydroxylapatite and calcium phosphate. This combination gives the bones strength. And a chemical called collagen, also known as elastic protein which works as breakage resistance.

The structure inside the bones makes them tough, but yet light enough for us to move easily. However, a big force at the wrong angle can break the femur.
How are the bones so strong?
The cortical bone tissue of the femur is dense which makes the outer layer of the bone very strong. Engineers who try to copy the femur's strength try to give copies the same functions that the original one. But they are yet to be able to make a copy of the trabecular bone tissue. This is spongy and gives inner support to make the femur strong.

However, ultimately, human bone and steel/concrete cannot be compared in strength. Steel is very strong and not brittle like bones.

But just imagine making a hollow shape out of steel that is as heavy as the femur. Would it be able to withstand what the femur can withstand? Tell us what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os98s9kBlOI

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The femurs, the human thigh bones, are the longest bones in the body. And your femur bone is stronger than concrete! The femur is more […]

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