Skeletal and Muscular Systems

All of our body’s systems work together. One body system often times cannot work without the help of another system. The best example of systems working together is the skeletal system and the muscular system. Muscles are attached to bones; the muscles make the bones move. Without bones there is nothing to hold together the structure of muscles. Without both of these systems working together our body would be impossible to move on its own.

The skeletal system is the system in our body that provides protection of the vital organs and support for the muscles and skin. The skeletal system is the most important system in the body; it holds all of the other systems together. The functions of the skeletal system are, structure, movement, protection, blood cell production, and storage. The skeletal system protects all of our vital organs. Without it the organs in our body would be subject to a lot of damage and would cause disabilities and illnesses. The skeletal system is composed of bones, connective tissue, and teeth. When we are born, we have over 300 bones in our body. Over time, as we grow our bones fuse together. When we are full grown adults our body has a total of 206 bones. Bones are constructed of layers. There is an outer dense, firm, and compact layer, and an inner layer that is spongy and more flexible. Some of our bones have marrow that produce cells and are sent into the blood stream. The connective tissues consist of tendons, which connect the bones to the muscle and facilitate movement. They also consist of ligaments which connect the bones to the joints, and cartilage which acts as a cushion between bones and joints to prevent friction and wearing down of the bones.

The muscular system is another very important system in our body. Its main job is to provide movement. It allows us to perform every day tasks even something as simple as walking. The muscular system contains more than 650 individual muscles. Muscles contract in two