COR JESU COLLEGE, INC.

Basic Education Department

Sacred Heart Ave., Digos City
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Topic: Skeletal System

The skeletal system functions by providing a rigid frame and support for the whole body.
Its primary organs are the bones. Bones have a crucial function in maintaining the survival of the
organism. They support the body and protect the soft organs from damage such as the skull
protecting the brain. In addition, movement is possible because of bones. They also store fats in
the internal bone marrow. Minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are also stored inside the
bones. Within some bones, hematopoiesis or blood cell formation occurs (Marieb, 2014, p. 152).
Bone cells include osteoprogenitor cells, osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts.
Osteoprogenitor cells are unspecialized cells. Osteoblasts are bone-forming cells. Osteocytes are
mature bone cells that are derived from osteoblasts. Next, osteoclasts function in bones’
breakdown, growth, and repair (Mader, 2004, p. 86). Figure 34 shows the parts of the skeletal
system.

Bones are organs of two types. They are compact bone and spongy bone. Compact or
dense bone appears solid. It is made of osteons or Haversian systems where blood vessels are
found. Osteocytes are in contact with osteons and with one another through canaliculi. The other
type is the spongy or cancellous bone which has visible cavities or holes, hence, the name. Like
compact bone, it has a matrix, blood vessels, and osteocytes but is not arranged into Haversian
systems. Its cavities contain red bone marrow which is responsible for the production of platelets,
red blood cells, and white blood cells (Scanlon & Sanders, 2007, p. 106).

Bones are classified into long, short, flat, and irregular bones. Long bones are present in
the hands, arms, legs, and feet excluding the wrists and ankles. Its shaft or diaphysis has a
marrow canal that contains yellow bone marrow. Short bones are located in the wrists and ankles.
Flat bones are found in cranial bones, ribs, hip bones, and shoulder blades while irregular bones
are in the vertebrae and facial bones (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013, pp. 175-176).

Axial Skeleton

The axial skeleton forms the central axis of the body which includes the bones of the skull
and trunk. It has 80 bones. Table 9 summarizes the bones of the axial skeleton. The skull is
consisting of the cranium, facial bones, hyoid bones, and ossicles. The cranium protects the brain.
On the other hand, facial bones support the ears, nose, eyes, and mouth. There are 14 facial
bones. If the palatine bones failed to fuse medially a cleft palate is formed. Cheekbones are called
zygomatic bones. Lacrimal bones serve as passageways of tears while the mandible (jawbone)
is the only facial bone that is attached to the skull through a free, movable joint. The hyoid bone
is a U-shaped structure that is located at the anterior neck. It serves as a movable base for the

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tongue and as an attachment reference for neck muscles. Ossicles are tiny bones in the middle
ear. In infants, there are areas with an incomplete bone formation called fontanels (Marieb, 2014,
pp. 163-170).

Figure 34. Bones of the skeletal system

The trunk includes the thorax (bones of the chest) and vertebral (spinal) column. Table 9
shows the bones that are part of it. The thorax forms a cone-shaped cage that consists of 12 pairs
of ribs with the sternum (breastbone). It protects the lungs, heart, and other organs in the thorax.
Figure 35 shows the structure of the thorax. The sternum consists of the manubrium, sternal
angle, body, and xiphoid process. The xiphoid process is the landmark for chest compression in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). There are 24 ribs (12 pairs) in humans with seven pairs of
true ribs because they are directly attached to the sternum through extensions (costal cartilages)
while five pairs of false ribs (8th, 9th, and 10th pairs) because they are not directly attached but
are fused with the 7th pair. The remaining 11th and 12th pairs are floating ribs (Thibodeau &
Patton, 2004, p.135). Figure 36 shows the vertebral column.

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Figure 35. Parts of the thorax

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Figure 36. Parts of the vertebral column

The vertebral column (backbone) is the central axis of the skeleton from the base of the
skull to the pelvis. It is significant because it supports the weight and movement of the head and
trunk, is a site for muscle attachment, allows spinal nerves to exit the spinal cord, and protects
the spinal cord. The backbone consists of interlocking bones called vertebrae (sing.) In adults,
there are 26 bones categorized into five regions: 7 cervical vertebrae (C1-C7), 12 thoracic
vertebrae (T1-T12), 5 lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5), 1 sacral vertebra (S), and 1 coccygeal bone or
tailbone (CO). Each vertebra is separated by an intervertebral disk which is fibrocartilage (Mader,
2004, p. 94).

Axial Skeleton

The appendicular skeleton is composed of 120 bones in the upper and lower divisions.
The upper division includes the shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist, hand, and fingers while the lower
division consists of the hip, thigh, leg, ankle, foot, and toes (Marieb, 2014, p.176). Table 10
summarizes the bones of the appendicular skeleton while Figure 34 shows the location of the
bones.

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 The upper division is divided into the shoulder girdle and upper extremity. The shoulder
girdle consists of a scapula and clavicle. The scapula (shoulder blade) is flat and triangular. The
clavicle (collarbone) is a slender bone with two curves. Its proximal end is attached to the sternum.
In a fetus, it is the first bone to begin ossification (bone formation) and is vulnerable to fracture
during childbirth. The upper extremity or limb is composed of the arm, forearm, wrist, and hand.
The arm is the region between the elbow and shoulder. It is attached to the scapula through its
rounded head. The forearm is comprised of the ulna (little finger side) and radius (thumb side).
The wrist is the region between the forearm and hand and is composed of eight carpal bones.
Lastly, the hand includes five metacarpal bones which are aligned with the five digits (thumb and
fingers). Each finger consists of phalanges (3 small bones) (VanPutte, Regan & Russo, 2010,
pp.132-135).

The lower division is divided into the pelvis and lower extremities. The pelvis or pelvic
girdle is composed of two coxal bones (hipbones), the sacrum and coccyx. It protects a segment
of the large intestine, internal reproductive organs, and urinary bladder. It also serves as the point
of attachment of the lower limbs. The female pelvis is different from the male pelvis because its
pelvic opening is wider and more rounded, lighter in weight, ilia and pubic arch are wider. These
are adaptations for pregnancy and childbirth. The lower extremity or lower limb includes the thigh
(femur), leg (tibia and fibula), ankle (tarsal bones), and foot (metatarsal bones and phalanges).
The femur is the strongest and longest bone. The tibia (shin bone) is the weight-bearing bone
while the fibula is not. The anatomy of the foot is similar to the hands with seven tarsal bones with
the calcaneus (heel) bone as the largest (Mader, 2004, pp. 102-103).

Cor Jesu College – Senior High School (AnaPhy)