They provide support of soft tissues and attachment sites for muscles, creating a framework for the body.
Movement is facilitated since bones provide leverage for muscle contraction.
Mineral homeostasis, particularly of calcium and phosphorus, occurs as minerals are stored in bones and can be mobilized when needed elsewhere in the body. Blood cell production occurs in the red bone marrow formed in certain bones. Storage of energy occurs in the lipids found in yellow bone marrow. The matrix of bone contains abundant mineral salts, primarily hydroxyapatite and some calcium carbonate. These and a few other salts are deposited in a framework of collagen fibers, a process called calcification or mineralization.