Structure of the skeletal system

The Human Skeleton can be divided up into

two parts, the axial skeleton which is the
central core of the body and the appendicular
skeleton which forms the extremities of the
arms and legs.

Of the 206 bones in the human body

126 of these make up the appendicular
skeleton.

The Axial Skeleton has 2 functions. The

first is to support and protect the organs in
the dorsal and ventral cavities. The second being that it creates a surface for the attachment of
muscles.

The Appendicular skeleton is composed of 126 bones of the limbs and the pectoral and pelvic
girdles, wich attach the limbs to the axial skeleton.
 The main bones of the skeleton and their location are shown here:

Functions of the skeletal system

The skeleton has five main functions:

1. Movement – the skeleton allows movement of

the body as a whole and its individual parts.
The bones act as levers and also form joints
that allow muscles to pull on them and produce
joint movements.
2. Support and protection – the bones of the
skeleton provide support for the body and also
protect the organs found within it. For example,
the cranium protects the brain, the ribs offer
protection to the heart and lungs, the vertebrae
protect the spinal cord and the pelvis offers
protection to the sensitive reproductive organs.
3. Production of blood cells – certain bones in
the skeleton contain red bone marrow and the bone marrow produces red blood cells,
white blood cells and platelets. Examples of bones that contain marrow are the pelvis,
sternum, vertebrae and clavicle.
4. Storage of minerals – the bones themselves are made of minerals and act as a mineral
store for calcium and phosphorous, which can be given up if the body requires the
minerals for other functions.
5. Attachment of muscles – the bones of the skeleton provide surfaces for the attachment
of muscles. This is why bones are often irregular shapes and have bony points and
grooves to provide attachment points.
Types of bone

Within the skeleton there are four main

types of bone.

You can now connect the functions of

the skeleton with some specific bones
located within in it. In fact, bones come
in many different shapes and sizes.

The table below identifies the four

different types of bone and the roles
each type plays.
Joints
A joint is a place where two or more
bones are joined in a way that
permits movement and is also called
an articulation.

There are three main types of joints

and each has a different freedom of
movement. To ensure they can be
supported, joints have ligaments
that provide the elastic fibres joining
bone to bone. It is common to hear
a sportsperson talking about a torn
or ruptured ligament, a type of injury
that can take long time to heal.
 The role of joints and connective tissue

 Connective tissues consist of ligaments, cartilage and tendons.

 A joint is held together by ligaments which give the joints their stability.
 Cartilage is found at the ends of bones and where joints meet.
 Tendons attach muscles to the skeleton.

Synovial joints

Synovial joints (freely movable joints) allow us the

free movement to perform skills and techniques
during physical activity.

Synovial joints have synovial fluid in the joint cavity

that lubricates or 'oils' the joint so it moves smoothly.
Synovial fluid is made by the synovial membrane.

In synovial joints, the ends of the bones are covered

with cartilage (called articular cartilage) which
cushions the joint and prevents friction and wear and
tear between the bone ends. Cartilage is a soft,
spongy connective tissue. The articular capsule
prevents wear and tear on the bones.

The bones in a synovial joint are connected by

ligaments, which:

 are a type of connective tissue and are tough, fibrous and slightly elastic
 connect bone to bone and help keep the joint together
 stabilise the joints during movement and prevent dislocation by restricting actions outside
the normal joint range
 can absorb shock because of their elasticity, which protects the joint
 help maintain correct posture and movement

The movement at a synovial joint is caused by the muscles attached across the joint.
Muscles are attached to bone by tendons. Tendons are very strong, inelastic connective
tissues that allow a muscle to pull on a bone to move it.

Ligaments connect bone to bone; tendons connect muscle to bone.