Skeletal System Flashcards
How many bones are in the adult body?
206
There are five different types, defined according to their shape
- LONG
- SHORT
- FLAT
- IRREGULAR
- SESAMOID
Characteristics of Long Bones
The body’s levers.
They allow movement, particularly in the limbs.
Characteristics of Short Bones
Strong and compact bones.
Usually grouped in parts of the body where little movement is required
Characteristics of flat bones
Protective bones with broad flat surfaces for muscle attachment.
Characteristics of irregular Bones
Bones that do not fit into the other categories and have different characteristics
Characteristics of sesamoid Bones
A small independent bone or bony nodule developed in a tendon
The patella (kneecap)
The hyoid (base of the tongue)
Examples of long bones
clavicle
humerus
radius
ulna
tibia,
fibula,
femur,
metacarpals & metatarsals
phalanges
Examples of short bones
Carpals in the wrist
Tarsals in the ankles
Examples of irregular bones
Vertebrae
Sacrum
Coccyx
Temporal
Sphenoid
Ethmoid
Zygomatic
Maxilla
Mandible
Palatine
Inferior nasal concha /Turbinator
Examples of flat bones
- Occipital
- Parietal,
- Frontal,
- Nasal,
- Vomer,
- Lacrimal (all of these are in the skull)
- Scapula (shoulder bone)
- Innominate bones (pelvis)
- Sternum (breastbone)
- Ribs
Examples of sesamoid bones
Patella (kneecap)
Hyoid
The skeleton is divided into two parts
Axial and Appendicular
Axial consists of
Supports the head, neck and torso
Consists of the skull, the vertebral column, the ribs and the sternum
Appendicular consists of
Supports the appendages or limbs and attaches them to the rest of the body.
It consists of the shoulder girdle, the upper limbs, the pelvic girdle and the lower limbs.
Functions of skeleton
- Support framework
- Provides attachments for muscles
- Forms joints to provide movement
- Forms erythrocytes in the bone marrow
- Stores calcium
- Protection
Two types of bone
Compact
Cancellous
compact
Compact bone is found on the outside of most bones and in the shaft of long bones.
To the naked eye this looks like a solid structure but under a microscope it looks like honeycomb, i.e. full of holes.
cancellous
This type of bone looks like a sponge
Found at the ends of long bones and in irregular, flat and sesamoid bones.
Bone marrow only exists in cancellous bone.