Axial Skeleton - The axial skeleton consists of the 80 bones in the head and trunk of the

human body. It is composed of five parts; the human skull, the ossicles of the inner ear,
the hyoid bone of the throat, the chest, and the vertebral column. The axial skeleton and
the appendicular skeleton together form the complete skeleton.

Flat bones house the brain, spinal cord, and other vital organs. This article mainly deals
with the axial skeletons of humans; however, it is important to understand the
evolutionary lineage of the axial skeleton. The axial skeleton has 80 bones in it. It is the
central core of the body and/or its axis, this is where the limbs (appendicular skeleton)
hang from.
The appendicular skeleton consists of 126 bones in the human body which make motion
possible and protects the organs of digestion, excretion, and reproduction. The word
appendicular refers to an appendage or anything attached to a major part of the body,
such as the upper and lower extremities.

The appendicular skeleton has eight major areas:

 Shoulder girdle
 Arm
 Forearm
 Hand
 Pelvic girdle
 Thigh
 Leg
 Foot

The appendicular skeleton and the axial skeleton together form the complete skeleton.