Types of Bones
The spinal cord serves as the nerve center of the human body; it is to protect the vertebrae. The rubbery tissue between each vertebra is a small pad of cartilage called an intervertebral disk aids in making the spine flexible. The vertebrae are a chain of 33 small bones that are linked together. The vertebrae not only allow the human body to bend but it also aids in keeping the body upright and to form proper posture. The spine is s-shaped and has four main curves. Each of these curves serves a purpose for bending toward the back and front of the body. Scoliosis is one abnormality that can be found in the spine; it occurs when the curve of the spine is not s-shaped which is sometimes found in children.
The skull supports and protects the eyes, ears, and most importantly the brain. “The skull looks like one bone but it is actually 28. The cranium, made up of eight bones, is the chief protector of the brain. The face has 14 bones, and each ear has three tiny bones, called ossicles, that allow you to hear” (Price, 2010, p. 7). The maxilla, also known as the upper jaw made from two bones. These two bones are not able to move and are attached to the rest of the skull. The mandible or lower jaw is hinged which does not allow upward, downward or side to side movements.
The most important organs in the human body such as the liver, heart, lungs and stomach are protected by the rib cage.
The bones are curved and are made up of 12 pairs of ribs which are anchored to the backbone. As stated by Simon (1998),
The top seven pairs of ribs are connected to the breast bone, at the front of the chest, by strips of cartilage. The next three
pairs, called false ribs, are connected to the ribs above. The rear end of each rib is attached to a vertebra. The lower two
pairs, called floating ribs, are not attached to the ribs above them but only to the backbone. (p. 10)
The eleventh and twelfth ribs are considered floating ribs because these ribs are not able to reach around the front part of the chest. While some bones are able to move freely, there are also some bones that are bound together by cartilage. The heaviest and longest bone of the body is the femur bone. The femur is attached to the spine by the pelvis bone which creates a ball-and-socket joint. The strongest and biggest single joint in the body is the knee joint. This joint acts as a hinge joint because it blends and allows the body to be able to walk. The knee joint also holds the weight of the entire body and allows the leg to lock in a straight line. When walking, the foot flexes and is made up of small bones. The arm bones are connected to the shoulder bone and to the collar bone. “People who use their arms a lot such as tennis players, can suffer from “tennis elbow”—an inflamed elbow caused by overuse” (Treays, 2004, p. 9). The arms help us to complete everyday life tasks such as carrying objects and washing dishes. They also help in keeping your balance as you are walking. Simon (1998) stated, “the hand has twenty-seven bones in three groups: the phalanges in the fingers and thumbs, the carpels in the wrist, and the metal carpels in the palm. There are fourteen finger bones—three in each finger and two in the thumb”. In the fingers there are joints called knuckles. “The wrist is made up of eight small bones arranged in two rows and held tightly together with ligaments. Five long bones make up the palm” (Simon, 1998). The finger and wrist bones are all connected by joints. The bones and joints of the fingers and wrist allow movement in almost
any angle and direction by the hands. The ellipsoidal joint can be found in the wrist and the saddle joint can be found in the wrist and the saddle joints are found at the base of the thumb. According to Price (2010), “An ellipsoidal joint, such as the one bone between the forearm and the wrist, allows for movement from side to side, backward and forward. Two saddle-shaped surfaces allow the thumb to rock back and forth to some extent” (p. 8).
The skull supports and protects the eyes, ears, and most importantly the brain. “The skull looks like one bone but it is actually 28. The cranium, made up of eight bones, is the chief protector of the brain. The face has 14 bones, and each ear has three tiny bones, called ossicles, that allow you to hear” (Price, 2010, p. 7). The maxilla, also known as the upper jaw made from two bones. These two bones are not able to move and are attached to the rest of the skull. The mandible or lower jaw is hinged which does not allow upward, downward or side to side movements.
The most important organs in the human body such as the liver, heart, lungs and stomach are protected by the rib cage.
The bones are curved and are made up of 12 pairs of ribs which are anchored to the backbone. As stated by Simon (1998),
The top seven pairs of ribs are connected to the breast bone, at the front of the chest, by strips of cartilage. The next three
pairs, called false ribs, are connected to the ribs above. The rear end of each rib is attached to a vertebra. The lower two
pairs, called floating ribs, are not attached to the ribs above them but only to the backbone. (p. 10)
The eleventh and twelfth ribs are considered floating ribs because these ribs are not able to reach around the front part of the chest. While some bones are able to move freely, there are also some bones that are bound together by cartilage. The heaviest and longest bone of the body is the femur bone. The femur is attached to the spine by the pelvis bone which creates a ball-and-socket joint. The strongest and biggest single joint in the body is the knee joint. This joint acts as a hinge joint because it blends and allows the body to be able to walk. The knee joint also holds the weight of the entire body and allows the leg to lock in a straight line. When walking, the foot flexes and is made up of small bones. The arm bones are connected to the shoulder bone and to the collar bone. “People who use their arms a lot such as tennis players, can suffer from “tennis elbow”—an inflamed elbow caused by overuse” (Treays, 2004, p. 9). The arms help us to complete everyday life tasks such as carrying objects and washing dishes. They also help in keeping your balance as you are walking. Simon (1998) stated, “the hand has twenty-seven bones in three groups: the phalanges in the fingers and thumbs, the carpels in the wrist, and the metal carpels in the palm. There are fourteen finger bones—three in each finger and two in the thumb”. In the fingers there are joints called knuckles. “The wrist is made up of eight small bones arranged in two rows and held tightly together with ligaments. Five long bones make up the palm” (Simon, 1998). The finger and wrist bones are all connected by joints. The bones and joints of the fingers and wrist allow movement in almost
any angle and direction by the hands. The ellipsoidal joint can be found in the wrist and the saddle joint can be found in the wrist and the saddle joints are found at the base of the thumb. According to Price (2010), “An ellipsoidal joint, such as the one bone between the forearm and the wrist, allows for movement from side to side, backward and forward. Two saddle-shaped surfaces allow the thumb to rock back and forth to some extent” (p. 8).
Click on the link below to learn more specifics about each bone in the human body: