Osteoporosis, an age-related disease of skeletal system, may occur due to

Question

Accepted Answer

C. 1. **Recall what osteoporosis is.**

**Osteoporosis** is a reduction in bone mineral density, which makes bones **brittle and prone to fracture**.

2. **Recall who is commonly affected.**

Generalised osteoporosis is common in the **elderly**, and especially in **women after menopause**.

3. **Understand the link to estrogen.**

After menopause, **estrogen levels in blood plasma drop significantly**. Estrogen normally helps regulate **osteoclasts**, the cells responsible for building new bone.

4. **Connect low estrogen to bone loss.**

When estrogen levels drop, **fewer osteoclasts are produced**, which results in **osteoporosis**.

5. **Eliminate the other options.**

An immune disorder affecting the neuromuscular junction describes **myasthenia gravis**, and accumulation of uric acid causing joint inflammation describes **gout** — neither is the cause of osteoporosis.

Hence, the answer is **Option C (decreased level of estrogen)**.