Hey, I’ve got a bone to pick with you! It’s about the skeletal system!
How do you have a whole skeleton inside of you and don’t know as much about it as you ought to?
Well, no matter, we’ll remedy that here, so let’s get right into it!
Bones?
You Mean Those Things I Buy For My Dog To Chew On?
let’s start with the basics:
The human skeletal system is the framework of the human body, providing support, protection, and movement. It’s made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons – pretty important stuff, right?!
That’s right! (I’ll answer for you).
The weirdest thing for me when I was researching, is the fact that the skeletal system is made of way more than bones.
The more you know!
Understanding that the skeletal system is crucial to our overall health.
The human skeleton is made up of 206 bones that are connected by joints, which allow us to move in every which way.
Without these joints, our bones would be pretty much useless – kind of crazy when you think about it.
So, when we look at the skeletal system, we’ve got to divide it into two main parts: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton.
The axial skeleton includes the skull, vertebral column, and rib cage.
The appendicular skeleton includes the bones of the arms, legs, pelvis, and shoulder girdle.
Okay, Yeah… The Skeletal System Is Important And Is Made Up Of A Bunch Of Moving Parts (pardon the pun)
But What’s It’s Role Within The Body As A Whole?
There are three main functions that the skeletal system provides the human body.
Firstly, it provides support and structure for the body, allowing us to stand upright and move around.
Secondly, it protects our vital organs, such as the brain and heart, from injury.
Thirdly, the skeletal system is responsible for producing blood cells and storing minerals such as calcium and phosphorus.
“Wait… what was that last thing?” You’re telling me right now, “My blood comes from my bones?!“
Let me explain:
Our bones have a soft and spongy tissue called bone marrow inside them. This bone marrow is where blood cells are made. The bone marrow contains stem cells that can turn into different types of blood cells, such as
red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. As these blood cells mature, they are released into your bloodstream and circulate throughout your body, delivering oxygen, fighting infections, and helping your blood to clot when you get injured. So, in short, your skeletal system produces blood cells through the bone marrow inside your bones.
So, What Qualifies As A Bone?
I’ve Got This Weird Hard Thing In My Earlobe, Does That Count?
Bones are classified according to their shape, with four basic shapes: long, short, flat, and irregular.
Long bones, such as the femur and humerus, are longer than they are wide and are primarily responsible for supporting weight and facilitating movement.
Short bones, such as those in the wrist and ankle, are roughly equal in length and width and are primarily responsible for providing support and stability.
Flat bones, such as those in the skull and rib cage, are thin and flat and are primarily responsible for protecting internal organs.
Irregular bones, such as those in the spine and face, have complex shapes and are primarily responsible for providing support and protection.
All bones are made up of the same several layers, including the periosteum, compact bone, spongy bone, and bone marrow.
The periosteum is a thin layer of connective tissue that covers the surface of bones
The compact bone is a dense, hard outer layer that provides strength and support.
Spongy bone, also known as cancellous bone, is a softer inner layer that provides cushioning and support.
And bone marrow is a soft, fatty substance found in the center of bones and is responsible for producing red and white blood cells.
I hope this article in our series How You Work was a quick and informative way to teach you something new!
The goal of this segment of articles is to take you through an anatomy class in a way that helps everyone understand what school might have been a little too dull to explain (most likely school wasn’t the issue and we just weren’t paying attention!)
If you have comments or questions, please just let me know! Have a great rest of your day!