Untitled Flashcard Set

Functions of the Skeletal System

Support, protection, movement, storage, manufacturing of blood cells.

Support

Bearing the weight of the body.

Protection

Encasing essential organs, e.g., the ribcage protects the heart and lungs.

Movement

Joints provide movement for bones.

Storage

Storage of minerals and fat in yellow bone marrow.

Manufacturing

Production of red & white blood cells from red bone marrow, called hematopoiesis.

Types of Bones

Classified by their shape: flat, irregular, long, short, sesamoid.

Flat Bones

Type of bone that is thin and flattened.

Irregular Bones

Bones that have complex shapes.

Long Bones

Bones that are longer than they are wide, e.g., femur.

Short Bones

Cube-shaped bones, e.g., wrist bones.

Sesamoid Bones

Bones embedded in tendons, e.g., patella.

Diaphysis

The shaft or long part of a long bone.

Epiphyses

The ends of long bones.

Epiphyseal Plate

Also known as the growth plate; where bone growth occurs.

Articular Cartilage

Covers the ends of bones in joints to provide smooth movement.

Medullary Cavity

The hollow cavity in the diaphysis of long bone that contains marrow.

Red Bone Marrow

Fills the medullary cavity in young people, responsible for blood cell production.

Yellow Bone Marrow

Fatty marrow that replaces red bone marrow in older individuals.

Compact Bone

The dense external layer of bone.

Spongy Bone

A lighter, porous inner layer of bone.

Trabeculae

Lattice structure of spongy bone that provides resistance to stress.

Osteocytes

Mature bone cells that make up the majority of bone structure.

Canaliculi

Tiny channels that connect osteocytes for nutrient exchange.

Osteoclasts

Cells that break down bone tissue.

Osteoblasts

Cells that produce new bone.

Ossification

The process of bone formation from cartilage.

Chondrocytes

Cartilage cells that proliferate at the epiphyseal plate.

Osteoid

The organic component of bone, made of collagen and ground substance.

Hydroxyapatites

Inorganic mineral salts that provide bone strength and hardness, with the formula Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂.