The appendicular and axial skeleton are two different divisions of the human skeleton. The axial skeleton comprises the spinal column, rib cage, skull, and other supporting bones. The shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle, and upper and lower limb bones form the appendicular skeleton, connected to the axial skeleton.
The human skeleton has six primary functions: movement, support, blood cell formation, protection, mineral storage, and endocrine regulation.
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Parts of the Human Skeleton
The human skeleton has complicated anatomy and hundreds of bones. Since evolution has been chosen for specific adaptations in some species that alter the function and structure of their bones, the anatomy of the skeletal system varies greatly among organisms.
Bones
The primary function of bones is to support the movement of the body and limbs. Ligaments, tough connective tissues, hold two bones or cartilages together at a joint.
Tendons are flexible, inelastic connective tissue that firmly anchors muscles to bones. A complicated system of joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and other components enables the movement of various bones.
The adult human skeleton system has 206 bones. There are three primary layers on each bone: periosteum, compact bone, and spongy bone.
The periosteum, a hard layer, protects and covers the external surface of the bone. It offers protection and structural support. White, firm, smooth, compact bone can be found below the periosteum. Bone is softer in the core and inner layer than compact bone. To retain marrow, it features tiny openings known as pores.
Cartilage
The second part of the human skeleton is the cartilage. It is composed of fibres embedded in ground material or connective tissue. Elastin fibres and collagen are the two kinds of fibres that comprise cartilage. The mature cartilage cells, chondrocytes, are created by chondroblasts, the cells that first generate cartilage.
The ends of our bones are covered with this flexible, smooth material. It enables friction-free bone movement. The loss of cartilage, as seen in arthritis, can be unpleasant and impair activity.
There are three different types of cartilage: fibrocartilage, elastic cartilage, and hyaline cartilage.
The most widespread of the three cartilages, hyaline cartilage, helps slide substrates over one another—for example, the respiratory system.
The fundamental purpose of tough fibrocartilage cartilage is to support and strengthen structures, for example, in bone healing tissue (callus).
Elastic cartilage has a lot of elastic fibres and maintains the structure of the area where it is located, for example, in the middle ear.
Joints
Based on the amount of movement that joints permit in the connected bones, joints can be categorised into three functional groups. When fibrous connective tissue without synovial fluid holds two bones together, an immovable joint is formed. These types of joints hold the cranium’s bones together.
The spine and ribs have partially mobile joints, commonly known as cartilaginous joints. The third kind of joint, known as synovial joints, features a fluid-filled synovial space that provides the interacting bones with the greatest range of motion.
The synovial joints can be divided into six categories based on their structural composition, including ball and socket joints found in the hips, shoulders, and finger hinge joints.
Ligaments are thick bands of connective tissue that hold bones together.
Tendons are tissue bands that attach the ends of our muscles to the bones.
Related Links:
- Functions of Human Skeletal System
- Facts about Skeletal System
- Short Notes Disorders of Bones
- Difference between Bone and Cartilage
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