Bio Lab Skeletal System

Long Bones - Examples include femur, humerus, tibia, and radius.

Support body weight, facilitate movement, and produce blood cells.

Short Bones Examples include carpals (wrist bones) and tarsals (ankle bones).

Absorb shock and distribute force.

Flat Bones Examples include skull bones, ribs, sternum, and scapula.

Protect organs and provide muscle attachment.

Irregular Bones Examples include vertebrae, pelvis, and some skull bones.

Vary in function based on shape (protection, support, movement).

Sesamoid Bones Examples include patella (kneecap) and pisiform (wrist).

Reduce friction and improve muscle efficiency.

Foramen - Example: Foramen magnum in the skull.

A hole in a bone that allows nerves and blood vessels to pass through.

Fossa - Example: Glenoid fossa of the scapula.

A shallow depression in a bone, often serving as an articulation site.

Meatus - Example: External acoustic meatus (ear canal).

A canal-like passageway in a bone.

Articulation Site

The place where two bones meet to form a joint. Example: Knee joint, elbow joint.

Sutures - Examples: Coronal and sagittal sutures in the skull.

Immovable joints where skull bones fuse.

Fontanelles

Soft spots in a newborn’s skull that allow skull flexibility during birth and brain growth. Ossify (harden) over time to form sutures.

Osteoblasts

Bone-forming cells that secrete phosphate and calcium to build bone.

Ossification Process

Mesenchymal stem cells receive signals (BMPs, Wnt, FGFs) to become osteoblasts.

Hydroxyapatite

A mineral (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂) that gives bones their rigidity.