Biology is Life

Sunday, May 24, 2015

                                                            The Skeletal System


I-What is the Skeletal System:


             Your Skeletal system is all of the bones in the body and the tissues such as tendons, ligaments and cartilage that connect them.Thus, it is the framework of the body which protects and supports the body tissues and internal organs. The human skeleton contains 206 bones, six of which are the tiny bones of the middle ear (three in each ear) that function in hearing. Each bone is a complex living organ that is made up of many cells, protein fibers, and minerals. The skeletal system also provides attachment points for muscles to allow movements at the joints. New blood cells are produced by the red bone marrow inside of our bones. Bones act as the body’s warehouse for calcium, iron, and energy in the form of fat. Finally, the skeleton grows throughout childhood and provides a framework for the rest of the body to grow along with it.

This is the link of the video displayed above : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8x6tZI2hVI

II- Parts of The Skeletal System:

The skeletal system in an adult body is made up of 206 individual bones. These bones are arranged into two major divisions: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton runs along the body’s midline axis and is made up of 80 bones in the following regions: 
                           
                           - Skull
                           - Hyoid
                           - Auditory ossicles
                           - Ribs
                           - Sternum
                           - Vertebral column

The appendicular skeleton is made up of 126 bones in the folowing regions:
                          - Upper limbs
                          - Lower limbs
                          - Pelvic girdle
                          - Pectoral (shoulder) girdle




III- The Role of The Skeletal System:

Support and Protection
The skeletal system’s primary function is to form a solid framework that supports and protects the body's organs and anchors the skeletal muscles. The bones of the axial skeleton act as a hard shell to protect the internal organs—such as the brain and the heart—from damage caused by external forces. The bones of the appendicular skeleton provide support and flexibility at the joints and anchor the muscles that move the limbs.


Movement
The bones of the skeletal system act as attachment points for the skeletal muscles of the body. Almost every skeletal muscle works by pulling two or more bones either closer together or further apart. Joints act as pivot points for the movement of the bones. The regions of each bone where muscles attach to the bone grow larger and stronger to support the additional force of the muscle. In addition, the overall mass and thickness of a bone increase when it is under a lot of stress from lifting weights or supporting body weight.


Storage
The skeletal system stores many different types of essential substances to facilitate growth and repair of the body. The skeletal system’s cell matrix acts as our calcium bank by storing and releasing calcium ions into the blood as needed. Proper levels of calcium ions in the blood are essential to the proper function of the nervous and muscular systems. Bone cells also release osteocalcin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and fat deposition. The yellow bone marrow inside of our hollow long bones is used to store energy in the form of lipids. Finally, red bone marrow stores some iron in the form of the molecule ferritin and uses this iron to form hemoglobin in red blood cells.

Growth and Development
The skeleton begins to form early in fetal development as a flexible skeleton made of hyaline cartilage and dense irregular fibrous connective tissue. These tissues act as a soft, growing framework and placeholder for the bony skeleton that will replace them. As development progresses, blood vessels begin to grow into the soft fetal skeleton, bringing stem cells and nutrients for bone growth. Osseous tissue slowly replaces the cartilage and fibrous tissue in a process called calcification. The calcified areas spread out from their blood vessels replacing the old tissues until they reach the border of another bony area. At birth, the skeleton of a newborn has more than 300 bones; as a person ages, these bones grow together and fuse into larger bones, leaving adults with only 206 bones.

IV- What is a bone made up of?

 A typical bone has an outer layer of hard or compact bone, which is very strong, dense and tough. Inside this is a layer of spongy bone, which is like honeycomb, lighter and slightly flexible. In the middle of some bones is jelly-like bone marrow, where new cells are constantly being produced for the blood. Calcium is an important mineral that bone cells need to stay strong so keep drinking that low-fat milk!


FUN FACTS ABOUT BONES 
1- At birth the human skeleton is made up of around 300 bones. By adulthood, some bones have fused together to end up with 206 bones.

2- The longest bone in the human body is the thigh bone called the femur.

3- Our teeth form part of the skeletal system, but are not counted as bones.

4- The area of our body with the most bones is the hand, fingers and wrist where there are 54 bones.

5- The smallest bone found in the human body is located in the middle ear. The staples (or stirrup) bone is only 2.8 millimeters long.

6- Some people have an extra rib that can cause health issues.



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