THE SKELETAL SYSTEM

by Samantha

DID YOU KNOW THAT-

- more than half the bones in your body are in your hands and feet?

- a newborn has 350 bones, but a fully-grown adult has 206?

• The human HAND has 27 bones and your FACE has 14.

• The longest bone in your body is the THIGH BONE and the smallest bone in your body is the STIRRUP BONE in your ear.

• Humans and giraffes have the same number of bones in your neck which is 7 BONES.

• We have 4 bones in our legs which are the following: the long bones, the flat circular bones, the long circular bones, and the flat irregular bones.

• THE LONG BONES are in the limbs, they're thin, hollow and light,

• FLAT CIRCULAR BONES are bones that form the spine, or the vertebral column.

• LONG CIRCULAR BONES are ribs, they are strong but elastic, giving the chest the flexibility and springiness it needs for breathing.

• And last but not least, are FLAT IRREGULAR BONES. Flat irregular bones are shoulder, blades, hips and skull, these are strong but light, and protect delicate organs, such as the brain.

• HEAD: the bones of the skull surround and protect the brain; the lower jaw is hinged to the skull]

• CHEST: the bony cage of the ribs, connected to the spine at the back and the breastbone at the front, surround and protect the organs in the chest.

• ARM: the bones of the arms are jointed to sockets in the shoulder blades.

• SPINAL COLUMN: the 7 vertebrae in the neck and the 20 in the back make the spinal column.

• PELVIS: the bones of the pelvis surround the lower abdominal organs, supported by the spine and provide attachment for the legs.

• HAND: 8 bones make up the WRIST, 5 make up the PALM, and 14 hinged bones from the fingers and thumb.

• LEG: three major leg bones are suspended by ball and socket joints from the pelvis.

• FOOT: the bones of the foot form arches, so that the weight is carried on the heel and toes

• There are about 650 muscles in your body, and they are divided into 3 different types; SKELETAL, VISCERAL, and CARDIAC.

• Almost all the bones in your body are made up of the same materials, which are the following:THE OUTER SURFACE BONE is called the PERIOSTEUM. And Periosteum is a thin, dense membrane that contains nerves and blood vessels that nourish the bones.

• The next layer is made up of COMPACT BONE. The part is smooth and really hard. This part is the part you see when you look at a skeleton.

• Within the compact bone are many layers of CANCELLOUS BONE, which looks like a sponge. This bone is not as hard as compact bone, but it is very strong.

• In many bones the cancellous bone protects the innermost part of the bone, THE BONE MARROW, bone marrow is sort of like thick jelly, and its job is to make blood cells.

• The names of bones are: SKULL, jawbone, COLLARBONE, shoulder blade, BREAST BONE, funny bone, SPINE, hips, WRIST, hip, THIGH BONE, kneecap, SKIN BONE, ankle.

• TEETH ARE ALSO considered as part as the skeletal system but not counted as bones

• Teeth are made up of ENAMEL and DENTIN.

• ENAMEL is the strongest substance in your body.

• Your skeleton helps protect your internal organs and fragile body tissues.

• The brain, eyes, heart, lungs, and spinal cord are all protected by your skeleton.

• Your CRANIUM (SKULL) protects your brain, and eyes.

• The ribs protect your heart and lungs.

• Your vertebrae (spine, backbones) protects your spinal cord.

• The skeletal system serves a whole bunch of very important functions. It provides the shape and form of our bodies in addition to supporting, protecting, allowing bodily movement, producing blood for the body, and storing minerals.

• BIBLIOGRAPHY: WEBSITE: http://www.innerbody.com/image/skelfov.html, http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/htbw_main_page.html, www.education-world.com DATE for all of these websites: 3/19/09 WEBSITE: http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000124.html DATE: 3/26/09 WEBSITE: http://medindia.net/know_ur_body/skeletal.asp DATE: 4/02/09 WEBSITE: http://www.essortment.com/all/boreshumanbody_rrqh.html DATE: 4/16/09 WEBSITE: http://hes.ucfsd.org/gclaypo/skelweb/skel01.html#baby DATE: 4/23/09