• Question: Why doesn't your blood stain you bones why do they say white?

    Asked by to Rowena, Roy on 21 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Rowena Fletcher-Wood

      Rowena Fletcher-Wood answered on 21 Mar 2014:

      Your blood shouldn’t really be on your bones anyway… Should be in your veins! Bone is a kind of ceramic material like china, so it doesn’t stain. You can make phosphates and alumini phosphates like those I work on as bone cements for broken limbs?! These don’t colour easily but can absorb coloured things. But it’s also pretty easy to then wash colours back out!

    • Photo: Roy Adkin

      Roy Adkin answered on 21 Mar 2014:

      Bone is made of a form calcium and magnesium phosphates…it’s called hydroxyapatite and all the inorganic structure is all linked together with collagen…(it really isn’t like ceramic or china as bone is not ridged or brittle…unless there is something wrong like osteoporosis). The surface of most bone is not particularly porous or pitted, it’s quite shiny and smooth so the blood won’t have a surface to absorb onto.

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