Why do bones take so long to decompose?
In: Biology
Because they’re composed of relatively biologically inert minerals. Our flesh and tissues decompose because they’re organic and can be readily broken down into their constituent molecules by bacteria and other decomposers in the environment.
Our bones are composed largely of calcium phosphate, which is a fairly stable compound that just kind of lingers around, since there’s not a lot of decomposers that have the biochemical tools to break that compound apart and digest it. As a result, bones break down much more slowly.
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