The Skeleton Flashcards
Articulation
A joint; adjective, articular
Bone
A calcified form of dense connective tissue; osseous tissue; also an individual unit of the skeleton made of such tissue (root oste/o)
Bone Marrow
The soft material that fills the cavities of a bone. Yellow marrow fills the central cavity of the long bones; blood cells are formed in red bone marrow, which is located in spongy bone tissue (root myel/o)
Bursa
A fluid-filled sac that reduces friction near a joint (root burs/o)
Cartilage
A type of dense connective tissue that is found in the skeleton, larynx, trachea, and bronchi. It is the precursor to most bone tissue
(root chondr/o)
Diarthrosis
A freely movable joint; also called a synovial joint (adjective,
diarthrotic)
Diaphysis
The shaft of a long bone
Epiphysis
The irregularly shaped end of a long bone
Epiphyseal Plate
The growth region of a long bone; located in the metaphysis, between
the diaphysis and epiphysis. When bone growth ceases, this area appears as the epiphyseal line.
Ilium
The large, flared, upper portion of the pelvic bone; adjective, iliac
(root ili/o)
Joint
The junction between two bones; articulation (root arthr/o)
Ligament
A strong band of connective tissue that joins one bone to another
Metaphysis
The region of a long bone between the diaphysis (shaft) and epiphysis (end); during development, the growing region of a long bone
Ossification
The formation of bone tissue (from Latin os, meaning “bone”)
Osteoblast
A cell that produces bone tissue
Osteoclast
A cell that destroys bone tissue
Osteocyte
A mature bone cell that nourishes and maintains bone tissue
Periosteum
The fibrous membrane that covers the surface of a bone
Resorption
Removal of bone by breakdown and absorption into the circulation
Skeleton
The bony framework of the body, consisting of 206 bones. The axial portion (80 bones) is composed of the skull, spinal column, ribs, and sternum. The appendicular skeleton (126 bones) contains the bones of the arms and legs, shoulder girdle, and pelvis.
Suture
An immovable joint, such as the joints between the bones of the skull
Symphysis
A slightly movable joint
Synovial Fluid
The fluid contained in a freely movable (diarthrotic) joint; synovia
(root synov/i)
Tendon
A fibrous band of connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone
