Skeletons Flashcards
What is the insect exoskeleton made of?
Chitin
Give 2 examples of animals with no skeleton
Jellyfish, worms
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a skeleton made of cartilage?
Advantages: light and flexible
Disadvantage: not rigid enough to support an animal’s weight on land
Why do some patients with serious bone fractures need a blood transfusion?
Bones are living tissue and have a blood supply, fractures can cause internal bleeding and sometimes this means that a person needs to have that blood replaced.
Which two minerals replace cartilage during ossification?
Calcium and Phosphorus
How can scientists determine the age of the person if they only have a skeleton to investigate?
The proportion of bone to cartilage can be used as a measure of growth. It is possible to produce a graph of the proportion bone to cartilage for different ages. You can then estimate the amount of cartilage in skeleton under investigation and estimate the age of the skeleton.
Why are elderly people more likely to fracture bones when they fall?
Elderly people are likely to suffer from osteoporosis which means that their bones are brittle and much easier to break.
What type of joint is the elbow?
A hinge joint
What is the role of the synovial fluid?
It lubricates and cushions the synovial joint, which reduces friction between the two bones that make the joint
Which muscle contracts to raise the arm?
Biceps
Where are ball and socket joints found in the human body?
Shoulder and hip
Explain the difference between a tendon and a ligament
A tendon attaches the muscle to bone whereas a ligament holds two bones together
Many of the joints in the human body act as levers, in the arm, what is the fulcrum?
Elbow joint
Give 2 disadvantages of replacement joints
- requires major surgery
- they cannot repair themselves if they are damaged
- can weaken the surrounding bones
