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'.l'he Skelet.al System

The Skeletal System serves many important functi.ons; it provides the ehape
and form for our bodies in addition to supportíng, protecting, allowing bodily
movement, producing blood for the body, and sjQimg.IDÍnerals. ·
Functions
Its 206 bones form a rigid framework to which the softer tissues and organs
of the body are attached. ·
Vital organs are protected by the skeletal system. The brain is protected by
the surround.ing skull as the heart and lungs are encased by the stemum
and rib cage.
Bodily · movement is carried out by. the interaction of the muscular and
skeletal systems. For this .¿_eason, they are often · grouped together as the
muscleskeletal system. Muscldf' are connected to bones by tendons. Bones
are connected to each other by ligaments. Where. bones meet one another is
typically called a joint, Muscles which caus�� movement of a joint are
connected to twó different bones and contract to pull them together. AJ1
example �d be the contraction of the biceps and a relaxation of the
tríceps. This produces a �end at the elbqw, The contraction of the tríceps
and relasation of the biceps"�rÓduces the'"efi'ect of straightening the ann.
'!, )"':r, Blood cells are produced by the marrow Iocated in soMe-Oónes. An a�l:Hige of
ºi�6Jº' 2.6 million red blood cells-ís produced �fh�;-econd by the bone marrow to
replace those wom out and destroyed by fue liver.
· Bones serve as a storage area for minerals � as calciu.m and phosphorus.
·when an excess is present in the blood, �';1µ3},1.;g,,.� occur within the bones.•
When the supply of these minerals withüi fue blood is Iow, it wi1l be
withdrawn from the bones to r lenish 'the supply. ·
--, <-.ioo_ -!.!.
Divisi�ns of the Skeleton

1. The human skeleton is divided into two distinct parts: . ¿

The axial skeleton consists of bones that . form. the axi� of the body and
support and protect the organs of the head, neck, and trunk.
a) The Skull c./<."tP '-""'<.-,.G•· vu\• h-o,,ic...0
•

b] The Sternum
e) The Ribs c.,,s�''°''·.
d) The Vertebral Column
2. The appendicular skeleton is composed of bones that anchor the
appendages to the axial skeleton.
a)" The Upper Extremities
b} The Lower Extremities
e) The Shoulder Girdle
d) The Pelvic Girdle--(the sacrum and coccyx are considered part of the
vertebral column)
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Types of Done ,/' "'x'° · · .

The bones of the body tafÍ int� four general categories: wg bones, sh rt
bones, flat.,bones, and io:egular bones. Long bones are longer than they are
wíde arllf work as levers. The bones of the upper. and lower extrem.ities (ex.
humeros, tibia, femur, ulna,
are short, cube-sh�d, metacarpals,
and found etc.) are
in the wfi�� �s.
and of this type. Short bones
Flat bones have
broad surfaces for protection of organs and attachment of muscles (ex. ríbs,
cranial bones, bones of shoulder girdle). Irregular bones are all others that
do not fall into the previous categoríes.' They-ha.ve"'Varied · shapes, sizes, and
surfaces features and include the bones of the · vertebrae and a few in the
skull.
Bon.e Composition
. .
Bones are composed of tissue that may take one of two forms. Compact, or
dense bone, and spongy, or cancellous, bone. Most bones contain both
types. Compact bone is dense, hard, and forms the protective exterior
portion of all bones.fSpongy bone is in�d� the compact bone �d is very
J;K>rous (full of tiny boles). Spongy bone occurs in most bones. he bone
tissue is composed of several types of bone cells �bedded in a web of
inorganic salts (mostly calcium and .phosphorus] to give the bone �trength,
and collagenous fibers and ground substance to give the bone flexibility.
Fun Fact The term. skeleton comes from a Greek word meaning "dried up
The Skull

The skull is the bony .fra¡nework of the head. It is comprised of the eight
cranial and fourteen facial bones.
Cranial Bones t ? < " .. "'
The cranial bones makeup the protective frame of bone �und the brain,
The cranial bones are: , '3
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• The frontal form.s part of the cranial cavity as well as the forehead, the
brow ridges and the nasal cavity.
• Theleft and right'parietal forms much of the superior and lateral portions
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of the cranrum.
• The left and right temporal form the lateral walls of the cranium as well as
¡/ housing the externa! ear.
• The occipital forms the sterior and inferior portions of the cranium.
Many neck muscies attach here as this is the point of articulation with

cranr�
um. - e>.1w

theneck. _ - ---·--·---·-·-----·-· - - . -- -
• The sphenoid forms part of the eye orbit and helps to form the floor of the
• The ethmoid forms the medial portions of the orbits and the roof of the
nasal cavity.
The joints between bones of the skull are immovable and called sutures. The
parietal bones are joined by the sagittal suture. Where the parietal bones
meet the frontal is referred to as the coronal suture. The parietals and the
occipital meet at the lam.bdoidal suture. Toe -
suture between
r.:�---¡¡-¿ -
·the parietals
and the temporal bone is referred to as the squamous suture, These sites are
the common location of fontanelles or "soft spots" on a baby's head.
Facial Bones
The facial bones makeup the upper and lower jaw and other facial
structures.
0
The facial bones are: 'wi>) 1 5
• The manclible is theJ.9w�j� lt articulates with the temporal bones

-
at the temporomandibular joints. This forms the only freely moveable
joint in the head. lt provides the �wing motion.

• Toe left and right maxilla are the upper jaw bones. They form part of the
nose, orbits, and roof of the mouth. ·
• The · left and right palatine form. a portian of the nasal cavity and the
posterior portian of the roof of the mouth.
• The left and right zygomatic are the cheek bones. They form portions of
the orbits as well.
o The left and right nasal form the superior portion of the bridge of the
nose.
• The left and right lacrimal help to form the orbits.
• The vomer forms part of the nasal septum [the divider between the
nostrils).
The left and right inferior turbinate form.s the lateral walls of the nose and
increase the surface area of the nasal cavity.
The Sternum
The sternum is a flat, dagger shaped bone located in the middle of the chest.
Along with the ribs, the sternum forms the rib cage that protects the heart,
lungs, and major blood �ls from damage.
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The ribs form a �d of cage tb.at endoses the upper body. 'they give the
cb.est
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its fammar shape. ·

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The ribs serve several important purposes. They protect the heart and lungs
from injuries and shocks that might damagethem. ·Ribs also protect parts of
the stomach, spleen, and kidneys. The ribs help you to breathe. As you
inhale, the muscles in be�en the ribs lift the rib cage up,
allowing the
lungs to expand. When you exhale, the rib cage moves down again,
�queezing the air out of your lungs. ·
Fun Fact Bones mass account far 20 percent of the body weight

·Í he Vertebral Column
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The vertebral column (also called the backbone, spine, or spinal column}
consists of a series of 33 · gularly shaped bones, called vertebrae. These
33 bones are divided into five categories dependi.ng on where they are locatecl
in the backbone.
The first jseven vertebrae are called the e ·cal vertebrae. Located at the to
of the s · 1 olumn, these bones form a flexible framework for the neck and
support the head. The first cervical vertebra is called the � and the
second is called the axis. ne a as' shape allows the head to nod "yes" and
fue axis' shape allows the head to shake "no".
The next twelve vertebrae are called the thoracic vertebrae. These bones
move with the ribs to for:m the rear anchor of the rib calle. Thoracic vertebrae
are larger than cervical vertebrae and increase in size from top to bottom.
After the thoracic vertebrae, come the lumbar vertebrae. These five bones are
the largest vertebrae in tb.e spinal column. These vertebra.e support DJ,OSt of
the body's weight and are attached to many bf the back muscles.
The sacrum is a triangular bone located just below the lumbar vertebrae. It
consists of four or five sacral vertebrae.in a child, which becomes fused into
a single bone after age 26. ''i'he sacrirm forms tb.e back wal1 of the pelvic
girdle and moves with it.
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The bottom of the spinal column is called the coccl'.X or tailbone. It consists
of 3-5 bones that are fused together in an adult. Many muscles connect to
the coccyx.
These bones compase the vertebral column, resulting in a total of 26
movable parts in an adult. In between the vertebrae are intervertebral clises
made of fibrous cart:ilage that act as shock absorbers and allow the back to
move. As a person ages, these clises compress and sb!ink, resulting in a
distinct loss of teigh.t (generally between 0.5 and 2.0cm) between the ages of
50 and 55.
When looked at from the side, the spine forms four curves. These curves are
called the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and pelvic curves. The cervical curve is
located at the top of the spine and is composed of cervical vertebrae. Next
come the thoracic and lumbar curves composed of thoracic and lumbar
vertebrae respectively. The final curve called the pelvic or sacral curve is
formed by the sacrum and coccyx. These curves ajlow human beings to
§tand upright and help to maintain the balance of the upper body. Th.e
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cervical and lumbar curves are not present in an infant. The cervical curves
form.s around the age of 3 months when an infant begins to hold its head up
and the lumbar curve �velops when a child begins to walk.
In adclition to allowing humans to stand upright and maintain their balance,
the vertebral column serves severa! other important functions. It helps to
support the head and arms, while permitting freedom of movement. It also
provides attachment for many muscles, the ribs, and some of the organs and
protects the spinal cord, which controls most bodily functions.
Fun Fact: The strength of bone comes from its inorganic components of such
durability that they resist decomposition even after death.
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The Upper Eztremities

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The upper extremity consists of three parts: the arm, the forearm, and the
hand.

TheArm

The arm, or brachium, is technícally only the region between the shoulder
and elbow. It consísts of a single long bone called the humeros. The
humerus is the longest bone in the upper extremity. The top, or .head, is
large, smooth, and rounded and fits into the sea.pula in the shoulder. On the
bottom of the humeros, are two depressions where the humeros coonects to
the u1na and radius of the forearm. The radius is connected on the side away
from the body. (lat�ral side) and th_e u1:1a is connect:d on �et side towards
1

the body (medial side] when standing m the. anatomical posrtíon. Together,
the humeros and the ulna make up the elbow. The bottom of the humeros
protects the 'ulnar nerve and i� commonly known as the "°t��-!1�ne"
because striking the elbow on a hard surface stimulates the u1nar nerve and
produces a tingling sensation.