Osteology Flashcards
What are the five functions of the skeleton?
- Provides a supporting framework for the body
- Provides attachment points for muscles, creating a lever system that enables body movement
- Provides protection of vital organs
- Blood cell formation; red bone marrow produces red and white blood cells and platelets. Bone is richly supplied with blood vessels
- Mineral storage - calcium and phosphorus
What are the major building blocks of the bone?
Calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, collagen fibers, and water
What is the main organic constituent of connective tissue?
Collagen, a protein
What is the matrix composed of?
The matrix is about 25% water, 25% protein, and 50% mineral salts
What is Bone tissue composed of?
Widely separated cells, called osteocytes, surrounded by matrix.
Bone is highly ____ and is continually being ______
Dynamic
Remodeled in response to mechanical stress or even absence of stress.
What is the epiphyseal plate and what occurs here?
Longitudinal growth of a bone occurs at the epiphyseal plate, which is a layer of cartilage.
What is the protein collagen used for?
The main organic constituent of connective tissue.
What is Calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, collagen fibers, and water used for?
The major building blocks of the bone.
What is osteocytes used for?
Composes bone tissue.
What is the epiphyseal plate and what occurs here?
A layer of cartileage
Longitudinal growth of bone
What gradually gets replaced by bone?
Proliferating cartilage cells
Compare the bones to physically active individuals to sedentary individuals.
The bones of physically active individuals tend to be denser and therefore more mineralized than those of sedentary individuals of the same age and gender.
Describe long bones.
Most of the bones of the upper & lower extremities are of this type (e.g. humerus, radius, ulna, metacarpals, femur, tibia, metatarsals, phalanges).
Longer than they are wide.
Hallow of shaft is made of compact bone, being filled with yellow marrow.
Ends of bones composed of spongy or cancellous bone which contains red marrow
Describe short bones.
Wrist (carpals) and ankle (tarsals).
Composed of spongy bone covered by a shell of compact bone.
Describe flat bones.
Face and skull, scapula, ribs, sternum, ilium.
Have broad surface for muscle attachment or protection of underlying organs.
Consist of two plates or tables of compact bone w/a thin layer of spongy bone sandwiched between them.
Describe irregular bones.
Bones that do not fit into any of the other 3 categoris. The 26 vertebrae, sacrum, coccyx, and bones of the ears are classified as irregular bones.
What is the purpose of the vertebrae column?
Provides flexible support for the trunk & protects spinal cord.
How many vertebrae are there and the names of the different segments?
33 vertebrae but 26 distinct bones -> the 5 sacral vertebrae fused and the four coccygeal vertebrae fused 5 segments: 7 cervical vertebrae 12 thoracic vertebrae 5 lumbar vertebrae 5 sacral vertebrae 4 coccygeal vertebrae
Why does the vertebrae get thicket?
Due to more weight
How do the vertebrae articulate with one another?
By means of facets on the processes of neural arches “synovial joint” and by means of intervertebral discs between the vertebral bodies (cartilaginous joints)
What is the function of intervertebral discs?
Shock absorbers and allow slight movement so vertebral column is flexible & resilient.
What are the 3 classes of abnormal curves?
Scoliosis - abnormal lateral curvature of vertebral column.
Kyphosis/”hump back” - an exaggerated posterior thoracic curve
Lordosis/”sway back” - an exaggerated anterior lumbar curve
Describe fibrous joints
FIXED/IMMOVABLE
Consists of 2 bones united by fibrous tissue, have no joint cavity, & exhibit no movement.
E.g. suture joints in skull & fibrous membrane between borders of radius & ulna
