The Bones of the Human Body

The Human Skeleton

The Human skeleton is made up of 206 bones which act as a supporting framework for the organs, muscles and other tissues that make up the rest of the human body. These bones are connected to muscles by tendons, and it is this pairing that allows movement to be possible and give the body its shape. The bones that make up the human skeleton can either be fused, such as the cranium and pelvis, or single such as the femur or ulna. The Femur is the largest bone in the human body and the smallest is the stapes bone which is found in the ear. The main functions of the human skeleton can be broken down into 6 main parts:

Support - the human skeleton provides a framework to which other tissues to attach, without the skeleton we would just be puddles of tissues lying on the floor. Protection - the human skeleton provides a vital role in protecting the important and often delicate organs of the human body. The rib cage for example protects the heart and the lungs, and the cranium (skull) protects the brain and the eyes. Movement - skeletal muscles are attached to bones at various points to human bones by tendons, and it is these muscles along with the joints in between the bones that make movement possible. Blood Cell Production - In most bones there is bone marrow which is an important site for the production of blood cells. Storage - When we are young we are always told to drink lots of milk because calcium makes for healthy bones, well this is because the bone matrix can store a lot of calcium, which is an important element used in metabolism and other chemical reactions. Endocrine regulation - bone cells release a hormone which can help in the control of blood sugar levels.

What are bones of the human body composed of?

Bone is mainly made of hard and lightweight tissue known as osseous, which is made mainly of calcium phosphate. However bones are not made entirely of hard material as the bone is

punctuated by some spaces between the harder materials. There are two main types of bone, the two C's - compact and cancellous. Compact Bone Sometimes called dense bone, is the bone tissue found on the outside of the bone. It is what gives a bone it's typical look. Compact bone makes up around 80% of the overall bone mass of the human skeleton.

Cancellous bone Cancellous bone is found on the inside of the bone and is sometimes referred to as spongy or trabacular bone tissue. This cancellous area is made of a criss-cross of rod-like parts which make the bone lighter as well allowing space for bone marrow and blood vessels to pass through. This tissue only makes up about 20% of the weight of the bones, but its surface area is around 10x that of the compact bone tissue, proving that it is indeed a lot lighter.