SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN

HUMANS
THE SKELETON
 THE
HUMAN
SKELETON

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 TYPES OF
SKELETONS
• THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF SKELETONS,
NAMELY: HYDROSTATIC, EXOSKELETON
AND ENDOSKELETON
• THESE SKELETONS HAVE ADVANTAGES
AND DISADVANTAGES
• HYDROSTATIC SKELETON – CONSISTS OF
FLUID UNDER PRESSURE IN A CLOSED
BODY COMPARTMENT. E.G., EARTHWORMS,
JELLY FISH, ROUNDWORMS.
• EXOSKELETON – THE STABLE CHITINOUS
OR MINERALIZED OUTER SHELL OF AN
ORGANISM. E.G., CRABS, LOBSTERS, SNAIL.
• ENDOSKELETON – A CARTILAGINOUS OR
HARD SUPPORTING STRUCTURE INSIDE
THE BODY E.G., HUMANS AND OTHER
VERTEBRATES
 Hydrostatic skeleton exoskeleton Endoskeleton
Fluid shape allows for Prevents dehydration Consists of living
movement or burrowing of the animal tissues, so it grows
continously
ADVANTAGES Protection of internal Protects the soft Protects the internal
AND organs from shock internal tissues organs such as the
(protects animal from heart, lungs, brain
DISADVANTAG predators)
ES OF VARIOUS Healing occurs faster Reduces damage from Provides structure and
SKELETONS injury caused by the support, movement and
environment flexibility as well
ADVANTAGES

Suited to moist or Support – provides Blood cell production

aquatic environment structural support and (site for bone marrow).
shape
DIFFERENT
TYPES OF
SKELETON
S: IMAGES
 DISADVANTAGES
Hydrostatic skeleton
Lack of protection for internal
organs
Lack of structure and surface of
attachment
Dessication – A moist environment
is needed or else they will dry out
Exoskeleton
Non-living skeleton does not grow
with animal
Vulnerability during moulting
Sites of structural weakness
Endoskeleton
The parts that lie outside are not
offered much protection from
dehydration and predators
Susceptible to diseases – since the
skeleton consist of living cells, it is
susceptible to infections and
diseases
 THE HUMAN SKELETAL SYSTEM

• THE ADULT HUMAN SKELETON CONSISTS OF 206 BONES.

• AT BIRTH IT CONSISTS OF AROUND 270 BONES. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BONES AS WE GROW?
• BONES HAVE A MASS OF 8 TO 15 KG, YET THEY CAN HOLD ALL THE BODY’S MUSCLES AND ORGANS UPRIGHT
• THE SMALLEST AND LIGHTEST BONE IS THE STAPES IN YOUR EAR
• THE FEMUR IS THE LONGEST AND STRONGEST BONE OF THE HUMAN SKELETON
• BONES ARE MADE UP OF CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS, SODIUM AND OTHER MINERALS
• BONES STOP GROWING IN LENGTH DURING PUBERTY, HOWEVER BONE DENSITY AND STRENGTH WILL CHANGE
OVER THE COURSE OF LIFE
• THE HUMAN SKELETAL SYSTEM IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS I.E., THE AXIAL SKELETON AND THE
APPENDICULAR SKELETON.
 THE AXIAL SKELETON

It is made up of 80 bones.

This include bones in your skull, vertebral column, ribs and sternum

The axial skeleton serves to protect the brain, spinal cord, heart and
lungs.

It also serves as the site for attachment of the head, neck, and back and
also for the bones of the appendicular skeleton
 THE SKULL
The cranial bones make up
the top and back of the skull
The skull has two sets of On the underside of the skull
and they fit together by
bones i.e. the cranium and is a large opening called the
immovable joints called
facial bones (8 cranial bones foramen magnum through
sutures and they serve to
and 14 facial bones). which the spinal cord leaves.
protect and support your
brain.

There are 32 teeth in the

On either side of the foramen jaws of an adult human,
The facial bones include the
magnum is a smooth ridge however they do not form
forehead bones, check bones,
called a condyle. The two part of the human skeletal
nasal bones and bones of the
condyles articulate with system because teeth are not
upper and lower jaw
atlas. made up of bones but dentin
and enamel

The dental formula of a

human adult is 2.1.2.3
meaning there are incisors, 1 2.1.2.3 Why do we have a flat face?
canine, 2 premolars and 3
molars in each jaw

Because our foreheads do

not slope backwards too
much, our lower jaws have a
well-developed chin and the
bones of the jaws and nose
do not stick out much.
THE SKULL
 THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN

• THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN IS MADE UP OF 33 VERTEBRAE ORGANIZED INTO FIVE REGIONS:

• 7 CERVICAL VERTEBRAE IN THE NECK REGION
• 12 THORACIC VERTEBRAE IN THE CHEST REGION
• 5 LUMBAR VERTEBRAE IN THE BACK REGION
• 5 SACRAL VERTEBRAE WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH SEPARATELY BECAUSE THEY FUSED TOGETHER
• AND 4 SIMILARLY FUSED VERTEBRAE MAKING UP THE COCCYX

• IT PROVIDES ATTACHMENTS TO MUSCLES, SUPPORTS AND PROTECTS THE SPINAL CORD AND NERVES, IT
GIVES FLEXIBILITY AND THE GAPS IN BETWEEN THE VERTEBRAE ALLOW NERVES TO ENTER AND LEAVE
THE SPINAL CORD
• IT IS 71 CM IN MALES AND 61 CM IN FEMALES.
 THE
VERTEBRAL
COLUMN
• YOUR MOM DOESN’T
LOVE YOU
• YOU WERE AN ACCIDENT
• WHY DO YOU EVEN COME
TO SCHOOL
 VERTEBRAL COLUMN (CONT)

• THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN IS SEPARATED BY INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS.

• THE INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS PREVENT FRICTION BETWEEN THE VERTEBRAE AND ACT
AS SHOCK ABSORBERS DURING WALKING, RUNNING AND JUMPING.
• EACH VERTEBRA INTERLOCKS WITH BOTH THE ONE IN FRONT AND BEHIND IT IN SUCH
A WAY THAT A CONTINUOUS SPINAL CANAL IS FORMED THROUGH TO THE CRANIUM
• THE TINY GAPS OCCUR BETWEEN THE VERTEBRAE TO ALLOW SPINAL NERVES TO
ENTER AND TO LEAVE THE SPINAL CORD
• IT IS THE WEIGHT-BEARING COMPONENT IN THE BODY
 THE RIB CAGE

• THE RIB CAGE IS MADE UP OF 12 PAIRS OF RIBS, THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN AND THE STERNUM OR BREAST
BONE. THE 2 CLAVICLES OR COLLAR BONES ARE CLOSELY ATTACHED TO THE RIB CAGE BUT DO NOT FORM
PART OF IT.
• ALL 12 PAIRS ARE JOINED TO THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN.
• THE FIRST 7 PAIRS ARE ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE STERNUM IN FRONT BY MEANS OF COASTAL CARTILAGES
CALLED “TRUE RIBS”
• THE NEXT 5 PAIRS ARE CALLED FALSE RIBS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ATTACHED TO THE STERNUM DIRECTLY.
• THE FIRST 3 PAIRS OF THE FALSE RIBS (8-10) ARE JOINED TOGETHER BEFORE BEING JOINED TO THE STERNUM
• THE LAST 2 RIBS (11TH AND 12TH ) ARE NOT ATTACHED TO THE STERNUM AT ALL, THEY ARE CALLED FLOATING
RIBS.
 RIB CAGE
STRUCTURE
 RIB CAGE FUNCTION

• PROTECTS THE INTERNAL ORGANS (THE HEART AND LUNGS)

• INHALATION AND EXHALATION – THE MOVEMENT OF THE RIBS CAUSES THE
VOLUME OF THE THORACIC CAVITY TO BE INCREASED OR DECREASED , THUS
BRINGING ABOUT PRESSURE CHANGES IN THE THORACIC CAVITY.
• E.G., WHEN THE VOLUME OF THE THORACIC CAVITY INCREASES, THE PRESSURE
IN THE THORACIC CAVITY DECREASES AND INHALATION TAKES PLACE. WHEN
THE VOLUME OF THE THORACIC CAVITY DECREASES, THE PRESSURE IN THE
THORACIC CAVITY INCREASES AND EXHALATION TAKES PLACE.
 THE APPENDICULAR SKELETON

The remaining 126 bones The pectoral girdle and

make up the appendicular
skeleton and that includes
bones of the pectoral
(shoulder) girdle and upper
limbs as well as the pelvic
girdle and lower limbs.
pelvic girdle are attached to
the axis of the skeleton
The appendicular skeleton
allows us to stand up
straight, walk upright and
jump
THE APPENDICULAR SKELETON
THE PECTORAL OR
SHOULDER
GIRDLE
• MADE UP OF TWO SCAPULAE (SCAPULA
SINGULAR), AND TWO CLAVICLES.
• THE SCAPULAE IS FLATTENED, LARGE
AND TRIANGULAR BONE WITH A SPINE
ON ITS BACK FOR ATTACHMENT
PURPOSES,
• IT ALSO HAS A SHALLOW SOCKET
CALLED THE GLENOID IN WHICH THE
HUMERUS (BONE OF THE UPPER ARM)
FITS
• THE ROD-LIKE CLAVICLE IS ATTACHED TO
THE SCAPULA AT ONE END AND THE
STERNUM AT THE OTHER END
 UPPER LIMBS
The upper limb or arm is made up of a humerus, radius and
ulna, 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals and 14 phalanges.

The humerus fits into the glenoid cavity forming a ball and
socket joint.

The radius and the ulna make up the forearm.

The radius in in line with the thumb. The ulna has a hollow
into which the humerus fits, forming a hinge joint.

There are 8 carpal or wrist bones which glide over one

another forming gliding joints.

There are 5 metacarpals which are bones of the palm of the

hand.

The 14 phalanges (3 in each finger and two in the thumb

form hinge joints
You father didn’t come back with the
milk
• TYPES OF JOINTS AND
THEIR POSITIONS
• WHAT TYPE OF JOINT IS
FORMED BETWEEN THE
HUMERUS AND THE
SCAPULA?
• WHAT TYPE OF JOINT IS
FORMED BETWEEN THE
HUMERUS AND ULNA?
 THE PELVIC
GIRDLE
• MADE UP OF TWO HIP BONES JOINED TOGETHER
IN FRONT AND TO THE SACRUM OF THE
VERTEBRAL COLUMN AT THE BACK.
• EACH HIP BONE IS MADE UP OF THREE BONES
FUSED TOGETHER I.E., THE ILIUM, ISCHIUM
AND PUBIS.
• THE PUBIC SYMPHYSIS JOINS THE TWO HIP
BONES TOGETHER.
• A DEEP SOCKET CALLED THE ACETABULUM, IS
PRESENT IN EACH BONE.
• THE HEAD OF THE FEMUR (THIGH BONE) FITS
INTO THE SOCKET.
• QUESTION TO THINK ABOUT: WHY IS THE
FEMALE’S PELVIC WIDER THAN THE MALE’S?
 THE LOWER LIMBS
• THE LEG OR LOWER LIMB IS MADE UP OF A FEMUR, TIBIA AND FIBULA,
PATELLA, TARSALS, METATARSALS AND PHALANGES
• THE FEMUR (THIGH BONE), FITS INTO THE ACETABULUM FORMING A BALL
AND SOCKET JOINT.
• THE TIBIA AND FIBULA MAKE UP THE BONES OF THE LOWER LEG.

• THE UPPER END OF THE TIBIA ARTICULATES WITH THE LOWER END OF THE
FEMUR FORMING A HINGE JOINT AT THE KNEE?
• THE PATELLA OR KNEE CAP OCCURS AT THE FRONT OF THE KNEE JOINT

• THERE ARE 7 SMALL TARSALS OR ANKLE BONES THAT GLIDE OVER EACH
OTHER FORMING GLIDING JOINTS
• THE 5 METATARSALS ARE BONES OF THE FOOT, INCLUDING THE HEEL.

• THE 14 PHALANGES (3 IN EACH SMALL TOE AND 2 IN THE BIG TOE) FORM
HINGE JOINTS WITH EACH OTHER
COMPARISO
• CLASS ACTIVITY
N OF THE
PECTORAL • CREATE A TABLE OF THE DIFFERENCES AND
SIMILARITIES OF THE PELVIC AND PECTORAL
AND PELVIC BONE
GIRDLE
 RECAP:
FUNCTIONS OF
THE SKELETON
Movement – the skeleton together with the muscle attached
to it , allow us to move to places.

Protection – protects the internal organs e.g., the cranium

protects the brain, the rib cage protects the heart and lungs,
the vertebrae protects the spinal cord.

Support – provides support for many other organs of the

body e.g., the muscles and the skin are attached to the
outside of the body.
Storage of minerals – the bones store calcium, phosphate and
more minerals. When there aren’t enough minerals in the die,
the body draws on these stored minerals.

Hearing – there are three small bones in the ear which play a
role in hearing i.e., hummer, anvil and stirrup. (ossicles)