Unit 5

Unit 5 A Bone - Classification

1. Warm-up
Work in pairs. Ask your partner these questions.

1. How can you keep your health?

2. How can you cure a cold without going to a doctor?
3. What troubles did you have if you had flu?

2. Reading
Task 1

Can you explain the meaning of the following idiom? Mark is a lazy-bones.

Bones are classified according to the shape: long, short, flat, irregular, sesamoid and sutural.
1. Long bones:
Bones that are longer than they are wide are called long bones. They consist of a long shaft
with two bulky ends or extremities. They are primarily compact bones but may have a large
amount of spongy bones at the ends or extremities. Long bones include bones of the thigh, the
leg, the arm, and the forearm, e.g. the femur, the tibia, the fibula, the humerus, the ulna and
the radius. They provide places for the attachment of large muscles.
2. Short bones:
Short bones are roughly cube shaped with vertical and horizontal dimensions approximately
equal. They consist primarily of spongy bones which are covered by a thin layer of compact
bones. Short bones are found in the hands and feet, they include the bones of the wrist and
the ankle.
3. Flat bones:
Flat bones are thin, flattened, usually curved and provide muscle attachments. They protect
internal organs. Examples include bones of the skull, the pelvis, the sternum and the scapulae
4. Irregular bones:
Irregular bones have complicated shapes. They are primarily spongy bones that are covered
with a thin layer of compact bones. Their shapes are due to the functions they fulfill within
the body, e.g. they comprise the vertebrae, the spinal column, the wrist, the ankle and some
facial bones.

Other types of bones according to the shape are:

5. Sesamoid bones:
Sesamoid bones develop in some tendons in locations where there is considerable pressure,
tension, friction or stress. They may form in the palms of the hands and the quality varies
considerably from person to person. Examples include the patella (kneecaps).

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6. Sutural bones:
Sutural bones are classified by their location rather than by their shape, they are parts of
sutural joints between the cranial bones. The number of sutural bones are considerable and
therefore these are un-named bones.

Figure 5 Classification of bones according to the shape. A- long bone, B- flat bone, C-
irregular bone, D- short bone (available on <
http://www.images.google.sk/classification.jpg>)

Task 2

Read the passage carefully and underline key words/expressions you think they are
important.

Task 3
Answer the questions according to the text about the bones.
1. What is the classification of bones according to the shape?
2. Describe the long and short bones, give some examples.
3. Describe the flat bones and their function in the body.
4. Where can we find the irregular bones in the body?
5. What do you know about the sesamoid and sutural bones?

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3. Grammar Presentation

Passive voice
The form of passive voice: be + past participle

Active:. The student nurses usually do these jobs.

Passive: These jobs are usually done by the student nurses.

Active: A nurse helped the patient into bed.

Passive: The patient was helped by a nurse into bed.

Task 1

Underline all examples of passive sentences in the text about bone classification.

Task 2

Develop three sentences of your own using passive voice constructions.

Task 3

Make passive sentences. Re-arrange words to make correct word order.

1. Sutural bones / classify / their location / their shape / rather.

2. Flat bones / internal organs / protect.
3. Short bones / in / the feet / find / and / hands.
4. Have/ shapes/ complicated / irregular bones
5. Provide/ long bones/ places/ for / attachment / large/ of / muscles

4. Writing
Read the text below and write down a few sentences about healthy way of life.

Healthy and slim.

According to some scientists our body is programmed for 100-120 years of life. In spite of
this fact we are growing old and dying much sooner.
Being healthy, fit and having a slim figure are inseparable parts of one thing. If you live a
healthy way of life, you feel fit and you look well, your health and beauty shine in your hair,
skin, eyes, nails and in all your behaviour and appearance. We have learned a lot about
correctly balanced nutrition, we understand the importance of exercise and sports and thinking
positively.
To be healthy and slim, active till old age, to do the best for our bodies, to keep them in
harmony with natural principles. Not a fashion, not a diet, but a healthy programme for all life
long. Eating healthy food makes you slim, being slim and attractive makes you happy and
healthy.
Text adapted from: Friendship, 2000, 3, p.14

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Vocabulary
attachment [ətæčmənt] – pripojenie, upnutie, pripevnenie
classification [klæsifikeišən] – triedenie, klasifikácia
comprise [kəmpraiz] – obsahovať, skladať sa
cube-shaped [kju:b šeipt] – kockovitý tvar
femur [fi:mə] – stehnová kosť
fibula [fibjulə] – kosť predkolenia
flat bone [flæt bəun] – plochá kosť
flattened [ flætnd]- sploštený
friction [ frikšn ]- trenie, frikcia, masáž
fulfill [fulfil] – plniť, vykonať
humerus [hju:mərəs] – ramenná kosť
internal organs [in΄tə:nl o:gən] – vnútorné orgány
irregular bone [iregjulə bəun] – nepravidelná kosť
joint [džoint] – kĺb
kneecap [ni:kəp] – jabĺčko
long [lo] – dlhý
palm [pa:m] – dlaň
passive [pæsiv] – pasívny, trpný
radius [reidiəs] – vretenná kosť
roughly [rafly] – drsne, popraskane
sesamoid [sezəmoid] – sezamský
shape [šeip] – tvar
short [šo:t] – krátky
sutural [su:čərl] – stehový, švový, suturálny
tendon [tendən] – šľacha
tibia [tibiə] – píšťala
ulna [alnə] – lakťová kosť
voice [vois] – rod, hlas

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