Putting the pieces together
When humans are born they have around 350 bones.
As they grow, some bones fuse together over time to
form a single bone. As a result, adults have only 206
bones. The bones of the skeleton can be placed into two
groups. The first group is called the axial skeleton, the
bones that form our center. The bones of the axial skel-
eton support and protect the organs of the head, neck and
trunk, including the skull, sternum, ribs, and vertebrae.
The second part of the human skeleton is called the ap-
pendicular skeleton. It is made up of all the bones re-
lated to our arms and legs (or appendages), including the
bones of the arms, hands, legs, feet, shoulder, and hip. The place where two bones meet is called a joint.
There are two different types of joints: moving joints and fixed joints. In a fixed joint, the bones are
fixed in place and do not move at all. The skull has many of these joints. Although it looks like one solid
piece of bone, it is actually made up of 28 bones fused together with fixed joints. Moving joints allow
a person to twist and bend. Bones are held together at the joints by stretchy bands of tissue called liga-
ments. In between the bones of a joint, there is a firm, rubbery tissue called cartilage.
Практические задания
1. Your approximate height can be measured from fingertip to fingertip when arms are stretched out
wide. Use a tape measure and have someone measure your height from fingertip to fingertip and then
from head to toe.
My arm span length: _______________________________________________________________
My height (head to toe): ____________________________________________________________
Difference (if any): ________________________________________________________________
2. The biggest bone in the skeleton is the femur (thigh bone), which measures about 1/4 of a person’s
height. How long is your femur?
Length of my femur: _______________________________________________________________
My height divided by 4: ____________________________________________________________
Difference (if any): ________________________________________________________________
3. About half your bones are in your hands and feet. If you have 206 bones, approximately how many
bones are in your hands and feet?
Number of bones in my hands and feet: ________________________________________________
4. Your skeleton makes up about 1/5 of your total body weight. Approximately how much does your
skeleton weigh?
My skeleton weighs: ________________________
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