Final answer:
Young children's bones are more prone to fractures because their ossification process is incomplete, which means their bones contain more cartilage, making them more flexible and less mineralized. Conditions like rickets can soften bones and lead to deformities due to insufficient calcium for proper bone mineralization. Fractures, breaks or cracks in bones, occur when bending stress exceeds the bone's strength.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to why young children's bones are more susceptible to fractures due to incompletely ossified bone. In biology, ossification refers to the process of bone formation, where soft cartilage is transformed into hard bone tissue. Young children's bones are still in this developmental phase, therefore they contain more cartilage than adult bones, which makes them more flexible and less mineralized.
Rickets is a condition related to calcium deficiency that results in softer bones, which can lead to bone deformities and increased risk of fractures. Children with rickets may experience bowing of the legs and other skeletal deformities. This is due to insufficient mineralization of the bone matrix during growth.
Bone fractures, such as breaks or cracks, are generally caused by bending stress exceeding the bone's capacity. While children's bones are indeed strong, their greater flexibility and the ongoing process of ossification make them more prone to breakage under stress. Fractures require prompt medical attention, regardless of the myth that they are less serious than broken bones; the term fracture actually refers to any kind of break in bone tissue.