Body
Your skeleton is not as permanent as it looks. Bone is constantly broken down and rebuilt, and most of the adult skeleton is replaced about every 10 years.
ILLUSTRATION · AIMost of the adult skeleton is replaced about every 10 years, the 2004 Surgeon General's report on bone health says.
Much of the cellular activity in bone consists of removal and replacement at the same site, a process called remodeling. It becomes dominant by the time bone reaches its peak mass, typically by the early 20s.
Remodeling continues throughout life, so that most of the adult skeleton is replaced about every 10 years. It allows the skeleton to repair damage and adapt, and it is regulated by specialized bone cells that communicate with each other.
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