24 Questions
What is the primary function of the skeleton in the human body?
To provide support for the body and its vital cavities
What are the two main parts of the human skeleton?
Axial and Appendicular
What is the function of the marrow in the medullary cavity of many bones?
To produce new blood cells
How many vertebrae make up the vertebral column?
33
What is the function of the intervertebral discs?
To absorb shock between vertebrae
What are the two parts that make up the shoulder girdle?
Clavicle and Scapula
What is the function of compact bone?
To provide strength to the bone
How many segments do each of the upper and lower limbs consist of?
3
What is the main function of a sesamoid bone?
To reduce friction on the tendon
Which type of bones develops through endochondral ossification?
Long and irregularly shaped bones
What is the characteristic of cancellous bone?
A less dense branching network of bone trabecula
Which type of joint is characterized by bones joined by fibrous connective tissue?
Fibrous joint
What is the term for the process of bone formation in connective tissue?
Intramembranous ossification
What is the characteristic of short bones?
They are cuboidal in shape
Which type of bones are characterized by air-filled cavities?
Pneumatic bones
What fills the spaces between the spicules of cancellous bone?
Bone marrow
What type of joint is characterized by the presence of a thin layer of hyaline cartilage and a joint cavity filled with synovial fluid?
Synovial joint
What is the primary function of the dens of the axis (C2 vertebra) in the median atlanto-axial joint?
Pivotal movement of the atlas
Which type of joint is characterized by the presence of a fibrocartilaginous disc?
Secondary cartilaginous joint
What type of joint is the elbow joint?
Hinge joint
Which type of joint is the radiocarpal joint?
Ellipsoid joint
What is the main characteristic of suture joints?
The bones are connected directly
Which type of joint is the metacarpo-phalangeal joint?
Condyloid joint
What type of joint is the sternoclavicular joint?
Plane joint
Study Notes
The Skeleton of the Human Body
- The skeleton forms a rigid supporting system in the human body, providing support for the body and its vital cavities, protection for vital structures, and serving as the mechanical basis for movement.
Axial Skeleton
- The axial skeleton consists of the central supporting axis of the body, including the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum.
- The vertebral column consists of 33 vertebrae, divided into five groups: cervical (7), thoracic (12), lumbar (5), sacral (5), and coccygeal (4).
- The vertebral column includes intervertebral discs of fibrocartilage between most of the vertebrae.
Appendicular Skeleton
- The appendicular skeleton includes the bones of the upper limb and pectoral girdle, and bones of the lower limb and pelvic girdle.
- The shoulder girdle consists of the clavicle and scapula, while the pelvic girdle consists of the hip bones.
- The shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle provide connection points between the appendicular and the axial skeletons, facilitating mechanical load transfer.
- Each of the upper and lower limbs consists of three segments: proximal, intermediate, and distal.
Bone Structure
- Bones are found in two forms: compact bone and cancellous bone.
- Compact bone is a dense mass of bone, forming the superficial layer of bone and the tubular shafts of long bones, providing strength.
- Cancellous bone (spongy or trabecular) is a less dense branching network of bone trabecula, occurring in the ends of long bones and filling the flat and irregular bones.
Bone Classification
- Bones are classified according to their shape into:
- Long bones (e.g., the humerus in the arm)
- Short bones (cuboidal, found in the tarsus and carpus)
- Flat bones (e.g., the sternum, scapula, and vault of the skull)
- Irregular bones (e.g., the vertebrae, hip bones, and bones of the face)
- Sesamoid bones (e.g., the patella or knee cap, developing in certain tendons)
- Pneumatic bones
Bone Development
- Bones develop in one of two ways:
- Intramembranous ossification (membranous bone formation): flat bones develop in this way by direct calcium deposition into a mesenchymal model.
- Endochondral ossification (cartilaginous bone formation): long and irregularly shaped bones develop by calcium deposition into a cartilaginous model of the bone.
Joints
- Joints (articulations) are unions or junctions between two or more bones or rigid parts of the skeleton.
- Joints exhibit a variety of forms and functions.
Types of Joints
- Fibrous joints (synarthrosis): bones joined by fibrous connective tissue, including:
- Suture
- Syndesmosis
- Gomphosis
- Cartilaginous joints: bones joined by cartilage, or by cartilage and fibrous tissue, including:
- Primary cartilaginous joints (e.g., the epiphysial plate of the growing long bones)
- Secondary cartilaginous (symphysis) joints (e.g., the intervertebral joints between the vertebral bodies)
- Synovial joints (diarthroses): the most common type of joint, characterized by:
- Articular surfaces covered by a thin layer of hyaline cartilage
- A joint cavity filled with a small amount of synovial fluid
- Subtypes include:
- Plane (gliding) joints
- Hinge joints
- Pivot joints
- Saddle joints
- Condyloid joints
- Ball and socket joints
- Ellipsoid joints
Learn about the human skeleton, its main parts, and functions, including support and protection for the body and its vital cavities.
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