Bone Basics/Functions

Skeleton is made up of…

Bones and cartilage

How many bones are in the adult body?

206

What kind of tissue are our bones made of?

• Connective tissue

• matrix: osteoid, made of cartilage

Divisions of bones:

Axial Skeleton and Appendicular Skeleton

Axial Skeleton Location

• Bones on or near the midline

• ex. skull, vertebral, column, ribcage

Appendicular Skeleton Location

• Bones away from the midline

• Limbs and bones that attach limbs to the trunk

• ex. all parts of arms, legs, shoulder bones, hip bones

All functions of bones

support, protection, anchorage, mineral storage, blood cell formation, fat storage, hormone production

Support

Bones provide a framework that supports the body

Protection

• Skull – brain

• Vertebrae – spinal cord

• Ribcage – heart, lungs

Anchorage

Skeletal muscles attach to bones by tendons, using bones as levers to move the body

Mineral Storage

• Bones are reservoirs for calcium & phosphate

• Bones release these minerals into the bloodstream as needed

Blood Cell Formation

Hematopoiesis (blood cell production) occurs in the red marrow

Fat Storage

• Fat is stored in the yellow marrow inside long bones

Hormone Production

• Bones produce osteocalcin, a hormone that helps with many body processes

Irregular bones

ex. Vertebrae

Long bones

Femur, finger bones

Flat bones

ex. Sternum, ribs

Short bones

ex. Wrist & ankle bones

Sesamoid bones

form within a tendon; ex. patellae