The skeletal system is made up of all the bones and joints in the body. The skeleton acts as a scaffold that provides support and protection the soft tissues that make up the body. It further provides attachment for muscles to allow movements at the joints. Bones also act as the warehouse for calcium, iron and energy (stored as fat). It also provides a framework for the body to grow along with it.
The skeletal system in an ault is made up of 206 individual bones. The bones are arranged into two:
• Axial Skeleton- Runs along the body’s midline. It consists of 80 bones. Found in the following regions
1. Skull
2. Hyoid
3. Auditory ossicles
4. Ribs
5. Sternum
6. Vertebral column.
• Appendicular Skeleton is made up of 126 bones in the following regions:
1. Upper limbs
2. Lower Limbs
3. Pelvic Girdle
4. Pectoral girdle.
SKULL
The Skull is made up of 22 bones that are fused together except for the mandible
In children the bones are not fused to allow for the growth of the brain. The mandible is the only moveable part of the skull.
The bones at the top of the skull are known as the cranium and serve to protect the brain. The bones that protect the eyes, nose and mouth are known as inferior and anterior bones.
Hyoid
The hyoid is the only bone that does not form a joint with any other bone. It is essentially a floating bone. It helps to hold the trachea open and to form a bony connection for the tongue muscles.
Auditory Ossicles
The auditory Ossicles are the smallest bones in the body. The auditory ossicles is made up of: Malleus, incus and staples. The auditory ossicles transmit and amplify sound from the eardrum to the inner ear.
Vertebrae
The Vertebrae Column is made up of twenty-six Vertebrae. They are named by region:
• Cervical (neck)- 7 Vertebrae
• Thoracic (chest)- 12 Vertebrae
• Lumbar (Lower back)- 5 Vertebrae
• Sacrum- 1 Vertebrae
• Coccyx (tailbone)- 1 Vertebrae
Except for the Sacrum and Coccyx, each Vertebrae is named by the first letter of the region and its position e.g. T1 (first Vertebrae in the Thoracic region).
Ribs and Sternum
The Sternum is a thin, knife-shaped bone located in the midline section of thoracic region of the skeleton. It connects the ribs by think bands of cartilage called the costal cartilage
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