The skeletal system the framework within the human body that supports are body and it is what makes us stand up. Without this we would be no more than a human blob on the floor which would be unable to move.

        The skeleton is not just for support; on the other hand it is used for protection of all the vital organs (cardiac and respiratory), bodily kinetics, and is also home to the framework which makes all the organs function called the brain. A fully formed skeleton is formed of 206 bones from head to toe and each of these bones varies in size and importance.

        In the skeleton there are different types of bones and they all have different shapes according the function they carry out and where they are placed:

Long Bones-These consist of a hollow shaft of hollow bone, which in the ends of this, proximally and distally, consists of spongy cancellous bone. Muscles are attached to these to help with movement.

Short Bones-They are irregularly cube shaped and are mainly cancellous bone which is covered by compact bones on the outside like a Christmas present with the wrapping on the outside and the present on the inside.

Flat bones-the main jobs of flat bones is to protect vital internal organs and also they provide excellent muscle attachment areas for muscles.

Irregular bones-they have a variety of shapes and sizes and they also have a variety of jobs to perform on the skeleton depending on where they are and their function.

Sesamoid bones-They are specialised bones that assist joint movement and these are covered with articular cartilage.

        There are two parts to the skeletal system which some people are yet to know but they are called the AXIAL and APPENDICULAR Skeleton. In fig.1 this shows the full skeleton and the areas shaded in blue is the axial skeleton and the areas shaded in red are the appendicular skeleton.

        

The bones included in the skeleton are: from head to toe:

Cranium/skull (flat bone/irregular bone)-this part of the head is used to house the organ called the brain. This is a very hard and durable bone and is vital to the bodies’ survival as it hold a very important organ. It also holds immovable joints and at birth this is one of the softer bones and takes a while to fully develop. The soft latter is called the fontanel. Its shape is suited to hold the brain as the brain is quite egg shaped and as different people have different brain sizes their head sizes will vary.

Mandible (irregular bone) - Also known as the jaw bone. There are many different parts of the jaw also known as the maxilla (the upper jaw) etc. this bone is used to pound and mash the food we eat to make it easier for the digestive system to process. This bone is at an angle where we can speak and do all our normal daily activities with our jaw but is also well designed for its function which it primarily to help aid the digestive process.

The spinal column (irregular bone) - This is the base of the skeleton and this is what supports the skeleton from falling. There are four parts to the spinal column and they are called the cervical, thoracic, sacrum and the coccyx (tail bone). The cervical vertebrae, being at the top, and the coccyx vertebrae, being at the bottom. These bones are all irregular and some of which are fully fused together (the sacrum). In between the bones there are pieces of a softer tissue to absorb shock and wear and tear and it is called cartilage. The spinal column is in the shape of an ‘Sand it is this shape that helps the body to develop a higher degree of movement and is much more flexible.

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The ribs (flat bone) -there is 26 ribs in total, 2 of which are floating ribs and these are used in the skeleton system to help protect the vital organs such as the heart and the lungs etc It has its shape because it needs to be hollow to house the organs and it also allows movement for when the lungs inhale and exhale air.

The bones in the appendicular skeleton are:

Clavicle (flat bone) -In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a bone that makes up part of the shoulder girdle (pectoral girdle). It receives ...

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