INTRO

• The skeletal system includes all of the bones and joints in the body. Each bone is a complex living organ that is made up of many cells, protein fibers, and minerals. The skeleton acts as a scaffold by providing support and protection for the soft tissues that make up the rest of the body.
• It may be difficult to imagine when looking at a tiny newborn baby, but that infant has around 300 bones — and those bones are growing and changing shape every day.
• The adult human skeletal system consists

  of 206 bones, as well as a network of tendons, ligaments and cartilage that connect them.
• vital functions

  1. support
  2. movement
  3. protection
  4. blood cell production
  5. calcium storage
  6. endocrine regulation
• Long bones

  • function to support the weight of the body and facilitate movement.
  • They are mostly located in the appendicular skeleton and include bones in the lower limbs (the tibia, fibula, femur, metatarsals, and phalanges) and bones in the upper limbs (the humerus, radius, ulna, metacarpals, and phalanges).
• short bones

  • Located in the wrist and ankle joints, Short bones provide stability and some movement.
  • The carpals in the wrist (scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, hamate, pisiform, capitate, trapezoid, and trapezium) and the tarsals in the ankles (calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, lateral cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform, and medial cuneiform) are examples of short bones.
• flat bones

  • is to protect internal organs such as the brain, heart, and pelvicnorgans.
  • somewhat flattened, and can provide protection, like a shield; flat bones can also provide large areas of attachment for muscles
• Irregular bones

  • vary in shape and structure and therefore do not fit into any other category (flat, short, long, or sesamoid).
  • They often have a fairly complex shape, which helps protect internal organs.
  • For example, the vertebrae, irregular bones of the vertebral column, protect the spinal cord.
  • The irregular bones of the pelvis (pubis, ilium, and ischium) protect organs in the pelvic cavity.
• Sesamoid bones

  • are bones embedded in tendons.
  • These small, round bones are commonly found in the tendons of the hands, knees, and feet.
  • function to protect tendons from stress and wear.
  • The patella, commonly referred to as the kneecap