Skeleton System

Question 1

Appendicular Skeleton- The forelimb

Answer 1

THE SCAPULA (Shoulder Blade)- Lies flat against the animals side. Attached muscles hold foreleg onto the rest of the body.
THE CLAVICLE(Collar Bone)- Lies across the front of chest, between the shoulder blade and breast bone.
THE HUMERUS- Large leg bone which runs between shoulder and elbow joints.
THE RADIUS & ULNA - Two bones running from elbow to wrist. Radius is a rectangle bone running down the front of the leg and the ulna is a narrow bone, running down the back of the animals leg.
CARPAL BONES- Two rows of little short bones, which makes up an animals wrist.
METACARPAL BONES- Bones which run from animals wrist joint to the paw.
PHALANGES- Little bones which make up the digits, three phalanges for each digit, number depends on species.

Question 2

Appendicular Skeleton - The Hind Limb

Answer 2

THE PELVIS- Rectangular bridge of bone at the top of animals hind legs.
FEMUR (Hipbone)- Runs down the animals thigh, from hip to knee.
PATELLA (Kneecap)- Balanced on the front of the knee. It is held in place by ligaments.
TIBIA (Shinbone)- Runs from the leg from knee to the hock.
FIBULA- Small thin bone runs down the outside of the tibia.
TARSAL BONES (Anklebones/Hock)- Made up of three rows of short bones.
METATARSAL BONES- Bones running from hock down to the paw or fetlock. Number depends on species.
PHALANGES- Bones which make up the toes.

Question 3

Axial Skeleton

Answer 3

Skull
Vertebrae
Ribs
Sternum

Question 4

Skull

Answer 4

CRANIUM- bony box made of flat bone plates. Covers and protects brain, contains eye sockets.
NASAL CAVITIES- Two bony tubes running from the nostrils to the back of the throat.
UPPER JAW- Made from the floor of nasal cavities. Commonly known as the maxilla, consists of a slab of bone called the hard palate.
LOWER JAW- Called the mandible, hinges against the side of the animals face. The mandible has lower teeth set into it.

Question 5

Vertebrae

Answer 5

Bones which cover and protect the spinal cord as it runs down the animal’s body.
All vertebrae consists of an arch, forms the tunnel through which the cord runs and a body which articulates with the vertebrae on either side, allowing the spine to move.
Between each vertebrae is a cartilage disc which acts as a chock absorber when the animal runs or jumps.

Question 6

Five types of vertebrae

Answer 6

CERVICAL- In animal’s neck, the first two are called the atlas and the axis. They form a swivel joint allowing the head to turn.
THORACIC- Sited from the base of the neck to the base of the chest. Each one is joined to a pair of ribs. At the top of each thoracic vertebrae is a long prong called the spinous process.
LUMBAR- Lie in the lower back between the end of the rib cage and the pelvis.
SACRAL- Group of fused vertebrae onto which the pelvis is joined. It is also known as the sacrum.
COCCYGEAL (Caudal)- The bones which make up the tail. Animals with long tails have more Coccygeal vertebrae then do animals with short tails.

Question 7

Ribs and Sternum

Answer 7

These make up the chest wall and protect the heart and lungs from damage. Animals have the same number of robs as thoracic vertebrae.
RIBS- Most ribs join to the thoracic vertebrae at one end and to the sternum at the other. These are true ribs, however, in mammals the last ribs do not connect with the sternum and are thus known as floating ribs.
STERNUM- Breast bone, made up of smaller bones which become fused with cartilage in an adult. It varies in shape in different species, flat in cattle and pointed in horses.