Skeletal System Lab Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering skeletal system terminology, bone markings, prefixes, bone counts, and major divisions of the axial and appendicular skeleton.

Foramen

A hole or opening for nerves or blood vessels.

Meatus

A tunnel through bone.

Process

A bump or projection sticking off a bone.

Tubercle

A small, rounded bump.

Tuberosity

A large rough bump for muscle attachment.

Crest

Narrow ridge of bone.

Spine

A sharp or pointed projection.

Condyle

A smooth, rounded surface (usually part of a joint).

Head

The rounded end of a bone.

Facet

A small, flat, smooth surface (usually where bones meet).

Fossa

A shallow dip or depression in a bone.

Notch

An indentation along the edge of a bone.

Ramus

An arm-like extension.

Plate

A flat, thin section of bone.

Girdle

A group of bones that connect limbs to the body.

Epi-

Prefix meaning above or on top of (e.g., epicondyle = above a condyle).

Sub-

Prefix meaning below or under.

Infra-

Prefix meaning below.

Supra-

Prefix meaning above.

Inter-

Prefix meaning between.

Meta-

Prefix meaning between, after.

Axial Skeleton

Bones running along the center of the body (80 bones total in adults) designed for stability, posture, and organ protection.

Cranial Bones

Eight bones (1 frontal, 2 parietal, 2 temporal, 1 occipital, 1 sphenoid, 1 ethmoid) that surround and protect the brain.

Facial Bones

Fourteen bones (2 maxilla, 1 mandible, 2 zygomatic, 2 nasal, 2 lacrimal, 2 palatine, 2 inferior nasal conchae, 1 vomer) that form the face and support the eyes, nose, and jaws.

Cranial Base

The bottom support of the skull that supports the brain from underneath and connects to the lower facial structure.

Calvaria

The skull cap that surrounds and protects the brain from above and the sides.

Hyoid Bone

A small, U-shaped bone in the neck below the mandible that does not attach to any other bone and is held by muscles and ligaments.

Auditory Ossicles

Three tiny bones (Malleus, Incus, Stapes; 6 total) in each middle ear that assist with hearing by transferring sound vibrations.

Cervical Vertebrae

Seven vertebrae (C1-C7) in the neck supporting the head, characterized by a general smiley-face shape in superior view.

Thoracic Vertebrae

Twelve vertebrae (T1-T12) in the upper/mid-back attaching to ribs, characterized by a shape compared to a giraffe in superior view.

Lumbar Vertebrae

Five vertebrae (L1-L5) in the lower back with large bodies built for weight support, compared to a moose shape in superior view.

True Ribs

Ribs 1-7 that attach directly to the sternum.

False Ribs

Ribs 8-10 that attach indirectly to the sternum through cartilage.

Floating Ribs

Ribs 11-12 that do not attach to the sternum.

Sternum

The breastbone at the front of the chest consisting of three main parts: manubrium, body, and xiphoid process.

Appendicular Skeleton

Bones of the upper and lower limbs plus attachment girdles (126 bones total in adults), specialized for movement.

Pectoral Girdle

Shoulder girdle consisting of 4 total bones (2 clavicles, 2 scapulae) connecting the upper limbs to the axial skeleton.

Pelvic Girdle

Hip girdle consisting of 2 coxal bones (ilium, ischium, pubis) connecting the lower limbs to the axial skeleton.