Skeletal System Flashcards
What is the skeleton and what are its three main functions?
Skeleton – Is your body’s frame. Its made up of bones.
The skeleton has three main functions:
* Supporting your soft tissues – Without a skeleton your skin and organs in your body would collapse. So the skeleton holds the bodys shape to protect the tissues.
* Protecting your organs – This is the main role of your axial skeleton, which is made up of 80 bones. It includes your skull which protects your brain, vertebrae which protects your spinal cord and ribs which protects your lungs and heart.
* Allowing movement – This is the main role of your appendicular skeleton, which is construct from 126 bones. It includes your pelvis, shoulder blades, and collarbones and the bones in your arms and legs.
What are bones, the characteristics of a bone and the structure of a bone?
Bones - Bones are living tissues. They contain living cells that are surrounded by calcium phosphate, a substance that makes the bone hard. Blood vessels supply the bone with nutrients it requires. Bones are living which means they can repair themselves.
Characteristic of the bone:
* Strong – so they don’t snap or crumble during regular activity
* Slightly elastic – they must be able to flex and twist a little then return to their original shape.
* Light – Must be light for muscles to move them.
Structure of a bone:
* Compact bone – makes up the outer layer of the bone. Dense and heavy and gives the bone much of its strength.
* Spongy bone – Resembles honeycomb. It is light yet provides a strong inner structure to the bone. Gaps in spongy bone are filled with fatty, jelly like material called bone marrow. Red blood cells and platelets are made in bone marrow as well as some white blood.
What are joints and what do they have?
Joints
Joint – is a place in the body where two bones come together. Most joints allow movement.
Bone moving against bone would cause pain and wear down so to protect that joints have:
* Cartilage – a smooth and slippery material that covers the ends of the bones that are moving against each other.
* Synovial fluid – which lubricates the bone ends and allows them to slide over each other.
What are the four types of joints (hinge joint, ball and socket joint, pviot joint, and saddle joint)?
Types of joints:
* Hinge joint – the end of the bones are shaped so that movement is only allowed in one plane back and forwards like a hinge of a door.
* Ball and socket joint – One bone is ball shaped and the other is a cup. This makes the bones complete all types of movement. An example of this joint is the shoulders.
* Pivot joint – moves by a ringed shape bone. This joint allows a wide range of movement. The joint and base of your skull allows you to turn your head using pivot joint.
* Saddle joint – allows movement in two directions. Found in ankle and base of thumb.
What are ligaments?
Ligaments – are a ban of tough flexible tissue that holds the bones and joints together. Ligaments prevents bones and joints from moving to far apart.
What are muscles, and what are tendons?
Muscles – it is your muscles that move your bones. Muscles are tissues that are able to contract and be stretched. You have 640 muscles. Tendons are tissues that attach the muscle to bones to hold the muscles and bones in position like ligaments. Your muscles are arranged in antagonistic pairs so they can both push and pull.
