Do skeleton bones hold together after death & decay?
In many depictions of skeletons in modern culture (videogames, movies, etc.), we can see skeletons holding in one piece, as if glued, long after death and disappearance of body tissues. For instance, skeletons of hanged men still hanging at the rope.
I'm pretty sure this isn't realistic but I'd like a confirmation that nothing holds bones together after decay.
Thanks
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Bones are connected to each other by ligaments which are composed primarily of collagen. After a sufficient period of time the ligaments will decompose and the skeletal remains will be reduced to individual bones.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ligament
Ligamentum (Plural: Ligamenta)
TA
A03.0.00.034
FMA
21496, 30319 70773, 21496, 30319
Anatomical terminology
[edit on Wikidata]
In anatomy, a ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua,[1] fibrous ligament, or true ligament.
Bones are held together by cartilage, and cartilage decays and vanishes along with the other soft tissues. So no, skeletons don't hold together by themselves. Skeletons in museums and such are generally held together by wire and glue.
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