Skeleton Function

• • Flat bones, such as the ribs and cranium, protect vital internal organs that would otherwise be vulnerable to damage from impacts
  • —> High-impact sports such as rugby or boxing would cause a lot of damage if not for the protective properties of the flat bones
• • The bones help to form the shape of the body, which plays a role in the physical build of athletes and their improved performance in certain sports as a result
  • People with long bones in the arms and legs have an advantage playing basketball and are more suited to playing professionally
• • Bones act as a storage for minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which can be released if the body has an essential need for them
• • Some bones, such as the femur, have hollow openings in the centre. These contain bone marrow
  • One of the functions of bone marrow is that it is the site of blood cell creation such as red blood cells and white blood cells
  • Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body for respiration and white blood cells help to fight infection by destroying pathogens