Skeletal Anatomy Basics

By: JT Lenga

Hello again readers! This week I have another anatomy post for you. This is something I learned during my Foundations of Kinesiology lecture, with Dr. Pontifax. It was a rather short and interesting subject. The skeletal system, like all other body systems, is very complex. Initially, I thought this topic was pretty simple when we first went over it in lecture. However, as it went on, I became confused on some of the major concepts and laws of the skeletal system. Eventually, I was able to understand what Dr. Pontifax was talking about, and I believe the exam section with this topic went particularly well for me.

For the sake of keeping it simple for those of you who are less knowledgeable about the human body, I did not include these major skeletal system concepts and laws. I will keep it simple to ensure that I don't bore any of you.  Hopefully, you will find this segment on the skeletal system interesting and you enjoy learning about it.

To begin, the skeletal system has five major functions. Our skeleton supports us against gravity, protects our soft tissue, provides us with a basis for movement, mineral storage, and the formation of new blood cells. The body has 206 named bones.  Each of these bones belong to one of two groups, the axial or appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the axis of the body. It includes the bones of the skull, vertebral column, and the rib cage. The bones of the axial skeleton are involved with protection, support, and carrying other body parts. The appendicular skeleton makes up the bones of the upper and lower limbs and attach to the axial skeleton. These bones are all involved with the locomotion and manipulation of our environment. There are four main types of bone in the human body - long, short, irregular, and flat bones. Long bones are much longer than they are wide, and consist of a shaft and two expanded ends. Long bones are not classified by their size but their shape. These bones make up the limbs, wrist, and ankles. Short bones are roughly cubed in shape. Making up the bones of the wrist and ankles. Flat bones are thin, flat, and usually a little curved. Flat bones are made up of the sternum, ribs, and most of the bones of the skull. The irregular bones are complicated shapes that do not fit into any of the above categories. These include the bones of the hips and vertebrae. Regardless of the type of bone, all bones are made up of some sort of arrangement of compact and spongy bones. Compact bone is a dense solid outer layer. Spongy bone is more of a honeycomb configuration of flat needle-like projections.

Here is a video and a diagram of the skeletal system for more in-depth information.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8x6tZI2hVI 

In a nutshell, that was a quick overview of the skeletal system.  As mentioned, it is a complex bodily system when you look at all the concepts and laws.  Although I did not delve into all the concepts and laws to spare you, I am hopeful that you learned something about the skeletal system that you were not aware of prior to reading my blog.

References

"Coordstudenti: Human Skeletal System Diagram". coordstudenti. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.

"Human Skeletal System". YouTube. N.p., 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.

Pontifax, Matthew. "MSU - KIN173 - Foundations Of Kinesiology - Spring 2017". Education.msu.edu. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.