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The Human Skeletal System

This is a website which will help you learn all about the human skeletal system . Just let the helpful pictures and text guide you through this learning experience.

The word skeletal is derived from the Greek word skeletos, which means dried up. Although
many people may think that bones are dried up, they are in fact composed of living things such
as Blood vessels and cells, as well as non-living material like water and minerals. The adult
skeleton is made up of 206 bones. However, at birth humans start out with over 300 bones, but
over time some of these bones fuse together during growth. The bones of the human skeleton
come in many different shapes and sizes, this will be further explained later in the text. Bones
are composed mainly of calcium, so people whose diet is low in calcium may find that their
bones are becoming brittle and increasingly breakable. This affects mostly older people. Also,
bones are able to repair themselves, although in some cases, casts, splints or other aids are
used to make sure that they heal properly. You will find out more about all of this later in the text.

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Above, is a diagram, labelled with all of the correct names for each bone.

Main Functions of The Skeletal System
 
The skeletal system has many major roles to carry out. The skeleton doesn't only support the
 
body, and cause movement, it also provides protection for more delicate parts of the body, it is
 
growth centre for cells and a resevoir of minerals. The skeletal system provides structural
 
support for soft tissue, including muscles. Also, since humans are the only mammal that have
 
an upright, erect posture, maintaining and utilizing an upright posture puts stress on the lower
 
part of the skeleton and affected joints and muscles. Red blood cells and platelets are produced
 
in the marrow of bones, so the Skeletal system is also a growth centre for cells. Bones also act
 
as a resevoir for minerals because it regulates the level of calcium and phosphorus in the body.
 
One of the main functions of the Skeletal system is to provide protection for more delicate parts
 
of the body. For example, the skull protects the brain, the rib cage protects the lungs and heart,
 
and the vertebral column protects the spinal cord. Another main function the skeletal system
 
allows, is movement: Muscles attatch to bones by tendons, and these muscles contract and
 
move bones to create movement. So for all the reasons mentioned above, it is pretty self-
 
explanitory that the skeletal system is very needed and important to humans, and plays a huge
 
role in our lives.

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