Measurements

I'm looking at the Planck physics article thanking my lucky stars to find something by a bunch of materials scientists, as opposed to another bit of grant research emanating from some vet school, when I bump into a book "How The Laws Of Physics Lie" written in 1983 by philosopher Nancy Cartwright. Hmmm. We'll get back to that one. But for now, the Planck piece and the understanding that if they can measure something--anything-- all sorts of additional extrapolations can be drawn. E.g. 19th century paleontologists were able to primarily age the earth merely by measuring rock strata. They'd mark a specific point on the cliff and say that everything above was younger, everything below, older. Compare this to other rock strata around the globe, and you're able to come up with years and age even before the advent of carbon dating methods.

Similarly, astronomers measuring Super Novae at the edge of the universe, map the entire universe per here:

http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/index.html

The Planck article measures and calculates at the nano scale and then arrives at seemingly important conclusions. Thus, in the spirit of documentation, this post will contain some rather dry measurements and descriptions that standing alone mean nothing at all, but presumably will take on significance when the ramifications of size, and even "existence", are considered.

What is the overall mineral fraction of bone: HA mineral crystallization averages 32-52% in wet bone. The rest of bone is organic material or water.

HA mineral crystals in bone are located in one of two places: 1. inside Type 1 Bone Collagen Fibrils, or 2. Outside the fibrils by either coating the skin of the fibrils or by building mineral rings around the fibrils.

The total % of mineralization inside and outside the fibrils is controversial because there is contradictory research. X-ray research seems to show that 70% of the mineralization occurs "within" the fibril and hence is intrafibrillar. But AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) studies such as those by Hansma show just the opposite that 70% of mineralization occurs outside the fibrils. The Planck piece believes the X-ray research is correct and that only 30% of mineralization occurs outside the fibrils.

Inside, the fibrils are composed of collagen molecules, HA mineral platelets and water. Interestingly, the new born fibril begins to mineralize when hydroxyapetite minerals invade the H2O portion of the fibril in an osmotic process.

intrafibrillar mineralization, as the fibril ages, eventually saturates the water portion of the fibril, and thereafter invades the live collagen.

simultaneously with intrafibrillar mineralization, extrafibrillar mineralization (outside coating and mineral rings around the fibrils) proceeds at roughly the exact same pace as mineralization inside the fibril.

Size:

HA interfibrillar mineral platelet: 50 x 25 x 3 nm (length x width x diameter)

HA extrafibrillar mineral blob 40 x 25 x 3 nm.

HA reinforcing ring: 5 nm diameter x 59 nm wide.

76% of a fibril's outer surface becomes coated with HA

Collagen Type 1 molecule(inside the fibril) = 300 x 67 x 1.5 nm arranged hexagonally. Spacing between molecules = 40 nm is filled with water.

Collagen Fibril = 100 nm diameter. Length and width omitted.

Collagen molecules self-assemble in staggered fashion to form new born fibrils.

Distance between adjacent fibrils = 1-2 nm.

Space between adjacent fibrils is empty or contains bone glue proteins.

This interfibrillar spacing is subsequently filled in by HA mineral salts and coating rings.

Individual fibrils self assemble themselves into bundles of various shapes and orientations.

Diameter of a fibril bundle (multiple fibrils forming a basic unit) = 100 nm

adjacent fibrils have a tendency to merge together--be glued together by bone glue proteins--or at certain places be bonded with "bridges" containing HA minerals.

Training:
Thurs. 1/14: Off
Fri. 1/15: pasture romp is curtailed after 3 heats when I realize we might bruise a coffin bone on hard crusty snow. But, they get in a little speed.
Sat. 1/16: cold, frozen mud and snow. impossible ground conditions. off.