Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026
08:02
Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
Published on: May 7, 2016
10.3K
Histomorphological study on hypocellularity in mastoid processes from archaeological human skeletons.
Stefan Flohr1, Anna K Hartmann1, Horst Kierdorf1
1University of Hildesheim, Department of Biology, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany.
International Journal of Paleopathology
|June 11, 2019
Summary
This study differentiates two types of mastoid hypocellularity in archaeological bone using histomorphology. These findings help diagnose past ear infections and inflammation in ancient human populations.
Area of Science:
- Paleopathology
- Bioarchaeology
- Forensic Anthropology
Background:
- Mastoid hypocellularity, characterized by reduced air cells in the mastoid bone, can result from various pathological processes.
- Understanding these processes is crucial for interpreting skeletal remains and reconstructing past health conditions.
Observation:
- Analysis of eight early medieval human crania revealed two distinct types of mastoid hypocellularity (Type 1 and Type 3).
- Type 1 hypocellularity suggests chronic or recurrent middle ear inflammation originating in early childhood.
- Type 3 hypocellularity indicates a healing stage of mastoiditis, involving resorptive and proliferative bone changes.
Findings:
- Histomorphological analysis, including light microscopy and backscattered electron imaging, successfully differentiated Type 1 and Type 3 mastoid hypocellularity.
- Established criteria allow for the assessment of in vivo processes even in diagenetically altered archaeological bone.
Implications:
- This research provides a method to evaluate the etiology of mastoid hypocellularity in archaeological human remains.
- The findings offer insights into the prevalence of ear infections and inflammation in past populations.
- Histomorphology aids in the differential diagnosis of middle ear pathologies in bioarchaeological studies.
Related Concept Videos
01:12Carbon Skeletons
114.5K
Life on Earth is carbon-based, as all macromolecules that make up living organisms contain carbon atoms. All organic compounds have a carbon backbone. Each carbon atom is tetravalent and can bond with four other atoms, making it an extraordinarily flexible component of biological molecules. Because carbon’s valence electrons are stable, it rarely becomes an ion. As the carbon chain increases in length, structural modifications such as ring structures, double bonds, and branching side...
114.5K
01:21Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
5.8K
Calcium is not only the most abundant mineral in bone but also the most abundant mineral in the human body. Calcium ions are needed for bone mineralization, tooth health, heart rate regulation and strength of contraction, blood coagulation, the contraction of smooth and skeletal muscle cells, and the regulation of nerve impulse conduction. The average calcium level in the blood is about 10 mg/dL. When the body cannot maintain this level, a person will experience hypo or hypercalcemia.
5.8K
01:09Overview of the Axial Skeleton
9.1K
The skeleton is subdivided into two major divisions—the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the vertical, central axis of the body. It includes all of the bones of the head, neck, chest, and back. It protects the brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs. It also serves as the attachment site for muscles that move the head, neck, and back and for muscles that act across the shoulder and hip joints to move their corresponding limbs.
The axial skeleton of the...
The axial skeleton of the...
9.1K
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
3.4K
The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
3.4K
01:12Precipitation Processes
5.8K
The experimental conditions in a gravimetric analysis should be optimized to maximize the particle size and purity of the obtained precipitate. Ideally, the concentration of the precipitating reagent should be low with effective stirring to maintain low relative supersaturation for the growth of large crystals. In homogeneous precipitation, the precipitant is slowly generated by a chemical reaction in the solution to avoid local reagent excesses. For example, urea decomposes gradually to...
5.8K
01:21Isothermal Processes
4.9K
A thermodynamic process that occurs at constant temperature is called an isothermal process. Heat slowly flows into the system or out of the system to maintain thermal equilibrium. Processes involving phase changes like water evaporation into steam or freezing water into ice at a constant temperature are examples of Isothermal Processes.
An ideal gas can also undergo isothermal expansion or compression.
For example, consider 1 mole of an ideal gas inside an isolated cylinder at initial volume V...
An ideal gas can also undergo isothermal expansion or compression.
For example, consider 1 mole of an ideal gas inside an isolated cylinder at initial volume V...
4.9K