Final answer:
Bones are not dry and dead but are composed of living bone tissue, or osseous tissue, which is a type of connective tissue including collagen, blood vessels, and mineralized with calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, the statement is false, and bone tissue is best described as dense, hard connective tissue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that bones are dry and dead is false. Bones are very much alive and are made up of bone tissue, or osseous tissue, which is a type of connective tissue. This tissue is composed of a collagen matrix that is mineralized with calcium and phosphorus crystals. The presence of blood vessels within the bones indicates that bones are not dry, but have a living system within them that is essential for nutrient delivery and waste removal.
Bone tissue can be described as a dense, hard connective tissue. It is not merely dead calcified tissue nor cartilage, although bone does contain some cartilage. The entirety of bones and their associated tissues make up the skeletal system. Therefore, answer d, 'dense, hard connective tissue,' is the correct description of bone tissue.