Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1. Cartilage is a type of dense ___________________ tissue.
2. The skeleton provides attachment surfaces for __________________.
3. The skeleton maintains ________________ homeostasis.
4. When mineral levels in the blood are too high, bones absorb some of the minerals
and store them as mineral ___________________.
5. Bone matrix is crisscrossed by blood vessels and ___________________.
6. Osteoclasts dissolve minerals in bone ___________________.
7. Bone marrow is found inside the pores of ________________ bone.
8. Early in the development of a human fetus, the skeleton is made entirely of
______________________.
9. By birth, several areas of cartilage remain in the skeleton, including the ends of the
___________________ bones.
10. With the help of muscles, joints work like mechanical ___________________.
11. The surfaces of bones at joints are covered with a smooth layer of cartilage that
reduces ___________________ at the points of contact between the bones.
12. Immovable joints allow no movement because the bones at these joints are held
securely together by dense ___________________.