Functions of the skeleton
- Support: the skeleton holds the body up and gives it a framework.
- Protection: bones protect vital organs, such as the cranium protecting the brain and the ribs protecting the heart and lungs.
- Movement: muscles pull on bones to move them at joints.
- Structural shape and points for attachment: bones give the body its shape, and tendons attach muscles to them.
- Mineral storage: bones store calcium and phosphorus, which keep bones and teeth strong.
- Blood cell production: red and white blood cells are made in the bone marrow of some bones, such as the femur and sternum.
Types of bone
- Long bones (such as the femur, humerus and tibia) act as levers for large, powerful movements.
- Short bones (such as the carpals and tarsals) are about as wide as they are long, and give support and fine movement.
- Flat bones (such as the cranium, sternum, ribs, scapula and pelvis) protect organs and give a large area for muscles to attach.
- Irregular bones (such as the vertebrae) have unusual shapes that protect the spinal cord and give attachment points.
Bones you need to know
- Head and trunk: cranium, vertebrae, ribs and sternum.
- Arm and shoulder: clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals and phalanges.
- Leg and hip: pelvis, femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals (including the talus), metatarsals and phalanges.
Using the skeleton in sport
- A rugby player relies on the ribs protecting the heart and lungs in a tackle.
- A sprinter uses long bones in the legs as levers to produce speed.
- Regular weight-bearing exercise, such as running, makes bones denser and stronger.
Key terms
- Skeleton
- The framework of bones that supports and protects the body and allows movement.
- Long bone
- A bone longer than it is wide, such as the femur, used for large movements.
- Flat bone
- A thin, broad bone, such as the cranium, that protects organs.
- Short bone
- A small bone about as wide as it is long, such as the carpals.
- Irregular bone
- A bone with a complex shape, such as a vertebra.
- Bone marrow
- The soft tissue inside some bones where blood cells are made.
- Mineral storage
- The skeleton's job of storing calcium and phosphorus.