• Question: why do bone rot

    Asked by maseehullah to Louise, Michaela, Sian, Steve, Yvette on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Louise Johnson

      Louise Johnson answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Because it makes delicious food for bacteria, being rich in minerals like phosphate. (I had a tooth extraction go wrong once and got an infection of the jawbone, so I know this from VERY painful personal experience.)

    • Photo: Steven Kiddle

      Steven Kiddle answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Bones rot because they are made of cells. Although they seem solid, they are actually alive (when you are!), this means that they are partly made of organic matter that is broken down by rots and moulds if they are left in the open.

    • Photo: Michaela Livingstone

      Michaela Livingstone answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Bones and teeth don’t rot actually – they’re made from a hard mineral called calcium phosphate and that’s why thousands of years after animals and people die you can still find bits of bones and teeth. Rotting is a process where bacteria breakdown cells, but bacteria can’t ‘digest’ bones, so they tend to hang around for a long time, even before they get fossilised. Eventually though, given enough time, through getting worn down by rough soil, or water they can disappear.

      Actually just seen Louise’s answer – I did not know that. Go figures, there’s all sorts of bacteria that can ‘eat’ all sorts of things!

    • Photo: Yvette Wilson

      Yvette Wilson answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      bones are made of many minerals such as calcium and phosphate that are essential to life – so bacteria and fungi devour them

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