106
You would be like a lump of jelly without
your skeleton – a frame of bones
that holds you up and protects
your internal organs.
Bones and muscles
Ribcage
A ribcage has
long, curved bones
that protect vital
organs such as the
heart and lungs.
Bending backbone
Your backbone
contains 24 small
bones called
vertebrae. They
move almost
every time
you do.
How many bones does an adult human have?
Human body
The
wrist
is
made up of
eight small
bones.
Both the
knee
and
elbow
are hinged
joints that only move in one direction.
The
hip
is a
ball and socket
joint, allowing the
legs to move around.
Head case
The bones that make up your
skull join after you are born.
The skull has two parts –
the lower jaw and cranium.
Only your jaw can move.
Brilliant bone
Bones have a
clever structure that
makes them light but
strong. They can heal
themselves if broken.
The honeycomb
structure of some
bone makes it
weigh less than
if it were solid.
Skull
Ribcage
Backbone
Snake ribcages
can run almost
the entire
length of
their bodies.
Bone marrow
supplies your
body with red
blood cells.
The vertebrae in
your back allow you
to twist and bend.
Cranium
Lower jaw