The organic constituents of mammalian compact bone

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Abstract
At least 99% of the weight of compact mammalian bone (ox femur diaphysis) is accounted for by inorganic matter, collagen, a mucopolysaccharide-protein complex and a protein which resists solution in hot water. Compact bone from ox femora contains no fat and no carbohydrate other than that of the mucopolysaccharide complex. No differences were found between bone collagen and collagens from other tissues. The protein that resists solution in hot water is heterogeneous, one portion resembling cartilage tubes in appearance and the other being an amorphous powder. The mucopolysaccharide-protein complex contains the sugar residues galactosamine, glucosamine, hexuronic acid, galactose and mannose. Xylose, of unknown origin, was also found in the hydrolysate. The whole of the N content was accounted for in a quantitative determination of the amino acids and hexosamines. The amino acid composition of the protein is unlike that of collagen, but bears some similarity to the blood serum proteins.