The image shows the forming skeleton of an embryonic chicken, stained and colored to differentiate between hardened bone (in green) and the remaining cartilage (in red). The bones develop from the center towards their ends and the process of disintegration and restoration continues for the rest of life. The bones are an excellent example of materials that are designed to withstand large loads, to self-repair and to change shape, size and mechanical properties in response to external stimuli.
More reading:
Hench, L.L. and Polak, J.M.; Third-Generation Biomedical Materials. Science 295, 1014-1017 (2002).
Image from here.
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