The Skeletal System

 Mammals have an internal skeleton or endoskeleton

meaning that their system of bones is found inside the
body
 The skeletal system is made up of bones and cartilage
Functions of the skeletal system
 For support of the body
 Provides attachment for muscles
 Serves as levers to enable movement and locomotion
 For protection of delicate organs
Main Bones of the fore- limb of a mammal
 The main bones of the fore/upper limb consist of
humerus, radius, ulna and scapula
 The humerus is the long bone that makes up the upper
arm
 Scapula is either of the two flat triangular bones on each
side of the shoulder. The rounded head of the humerus
fits into the glenoid cavity of the scapular to form a ball and socket joint
 The lower end of the humerus has a roller shaped surface, the trochlea which articulates with the two
bones of the forearm
 The forearm consists of two long bones; the radius (which extends from the elbow to the thumb) and
the ulna (which is the outer side of the forearm)
 The radius lies on the outer side when the palm faces upwards. The ulna lies on the outer side of the
forearm. Its upper end has a notch where the humerus fits in
 When the hand rotates, the ulna is fixed and the radius swings over the ulna
 The upper end of the ulna is broader and has a projection called the olecranon process. The olecranon
process fits into a hollow, he olecranon fossa, at the back of the humerus when the arm is straightened
Main Bones of the hind- limb of a mammal
 The hind limb/ lower limb consists of:
The femur (thigh bone)
The tibia and fibula (shin bones)
The foot
 The femur is the longest bone in the body. Its upper end has a distinct head which fits into a hollow in
the pelvic girdle forming a ball and socket joint
 The lower end of the femur rest on the tibia. The fibula, is a narrow, long bone on the outer side of
the tibia
 A knee cap or patella is found in front of the lower end of the femur
 The femur, tibia and patella form the knee joint
Joints
 A joint is a place where two or more bones meet.
 The movement of the bones relative to each other can only occur at s joint.
 Joints can be movable or immovable
 Movable joints include ball-and-socket joints and hinge joints
 Ball and socket joints allow movement of the bones in all planes e.g. shoulder and hip joints
 The rounded head of one bone fits into a socket or cavity of another bone allowing the movement
 The joint at the elbow and knee is known as the hinge joint
 It consists of the humerus, the radius and the ulna
 Hinge joints allow 180o movement of the bones in one plane only
Structure of a movable joint
 All movable joints have a similar structure as shown on the right
 Cartilage, is elastic and spreads the load between the bones,
protecting each surface from friction
 The joint is completely enclosed by a thin membrane, the
synovial membrane, which in turn is enclosed by a fibrous
capsule of tough elastic tissue called ligaments which help to
keep the bones in place and prevent their dislocation
 Ligaments attach one bone to another bone, and tendons
attach a muscle to a bone
 Between the bones and enclosed by a synovial membrane is the
synovial cavity which contains the synovial fluid
 The synovial fluid acts as a lubricant to reduce friction between the bones
Antagonistic Muscles
 The body parts are moved by muscular contraction. Two types of muscles are found in the
mammalian body: voluntary and involuntary muscles
 Voluntary muscles are under the animal’s conscious control e.g. biceps and triceps
 Antagonistic muscles work in opposition i.e. when the other relaxes, the other contracts
Antagonistic muscles of the forearm
 Bending a hinge joint is called flexion and straightening
the join is called extension
 The muscle that causes flexion is called a flexor and the
one that causes extension, the extensor
 The biceps muscle is the flexor, while the triceps muscle is
the extensor