The Skeletal System

Did you know? The human hand has 19 bones but your face only has 14. Although bones seem really hard, they are ¾ water which makes them spongy. The longest bone in your body is your thigh bone (the femur). It's about 1/4 of your height. The smallest bone is the stirrup bone in the ear which can measure 1/10 of an inch. Did you know that humans and giraffes have the same number of bones in their necks? Giraffe neck vertebrae are just much, much longer! You have over 230 moveable and semi-moveable joints in your body.

Skeletal System Functions: Supports the body, gives it shape, protects organs, attachment for muscles. Bones are alive – growing and changing. Calcium is the major part or component of bone tissue. You are born with about 350 bones in your body. The average person has 206 bones in their body. The number is not exact because some people have an extra pair of ribs or more bones in their hands and feet.

Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?

Because it didn’t have the guts!

Medical Names for Bones Ankle: tarsal Hipbone: pelvis Skull: cranium Wrist: carpal Collarbone: clavicle Kneecap: patella Shoulder blade: scapula Backbone: vertebrae

More medical terms! Read this slide… Each common bone in the body has a medical name!

Four Different Types of Bones Long bones: arm, leg, hand, feet Short bones: wrist, ankle, Flat bones: skull, ribs, chest Irregular shaped bones: spine, face

Parts of a Bone Periosteum: active, living membrane that covers a bone. When a bone breaks, the periosteum cells multiply and grow over the break. Compact Bone: hard outer surface; hardest part of the bone Spongy Bone: very porous (lots of holes); nerves and blood vessels are found in the spongy bone Marrow: middle or center of bone; helps manufacture or make blood cells.