The skeletal system is made up of bones, the joints where bones meet, and the connective tissues called cartilages that hold the bones together. The human skeleton is made up of 206 bones, and can be divided up into to two parts, the Axial Skeleton and the Appendicular Skeleton.
(Adams et al., pg. 4)(Boundless, 2013)
Axial Skeleton
The axial skeleton forms the main axis or core of the skeletal system. It consists of the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage. As noted by Adams et al. (2010), the axial skeleton consists of 80 bones.
The axial skeleton has two functions. The first is that it provides support and protection for the organs in the dorsal and ventral cavities such as the brain, and the spinal cord. It …show more content…
It is the upper and largest of the three pelvic bones.
Pubis – also known as the pubic bone; it forms the lower anterior part of the innominate bone.
Ischium – bone situated below the ilium that forms the lower posterior part of the innominate bone.
Femur – the longest and strongest bone in the body. The head fits into the socket of the pelvis to form the hip joint while the lower end joins the tibia to form the knee joint.
Patellae – also known as kneecaps; they are large, triangular sesamoid bones in the quadriceps femoris tendon to protect the knee joint.
Tibia and Fibula – bones that form the lower limbs. The tibia is the inner and thicker bone, also known as the shin bone; the upper end of the tibia joins the femur to form the knee joint, while its lower end forms part of the ankle joint. The fibula is the outer, thinner bone of the lower leg; the upper end does not reach the knee joint, but its lower end does reach the ankle joint and forms the part of the ankle joint.
Tarsals – seven short, irregular bones that form the foot and heel; they form the ankle joint along with the tibia and