Back To "Rearrangement"

At left a representation of a single mineralized bone collagen fibril. The Max Planck piece asks the question: what are the effective properties of this fibril?

The yellow in the illustration represents the "collagen-water matrix" which is the organic portion of this molecule. The red ellipses are mineral platelets produced within the collagen molecule. Planck calls these HA platelets with "HA" undoubtedly being a chemical signature for inorganic mineral salts.

AND, notice the alignment of the red ellipses, the HA platelets!!! The "elastic properties" (of this collagen fibril), says Planck "should strongly depend on the shape and volume fraction of the platelets". We learn that strength here depends on the number of the red ellipses, their alignment, and their percentage in terms of total volume in the molecule.

Now, let us focus! Is it conceivable that our exercise schematic might affect volume, alignment and even size within this collagen fibril? Conjecture that--yes--of course. A fat lazy couch potato fibril is going be different in appearance than one extracted from Triple Crown Winner Assault trained by another "Max" named Max Hirsch.

This is an intro to the Planck piece and hopefully will wet the appetite for more. The Planck post deals with patterns at the nano level. The illustration below represent patterns of extrafibrillar (outside the collagen fibril but plastered on to it) mineralization as another e.g. how Planck reveals bone organization from electron bonds to atoms, to molecules, to cells, and to osteons and the larger structures. Planck examines bone tissue in a hierarchical manner from smallest on up.

And again, how, precisely, might exercise affect this (larger) structure?

Training:
Thurs. 12/10: second day off due to weather.