The Skeletal System

Skeletal System - Overview The skeletal system is not dead tissue. It is very much alive. The system consists of two types of bone, cartilage, blood vessels, marrow, osteoblasts (build bones) and osteoclasts (absorb bones) There are four main purposes of the system. The system provides support, protection and movement for your body.

Skeletal System - Purpose Protection: –Skull protects the brain –Ribcage protects the heart, lungs and other vital organs –Vertebrae protects the spinal cord (nerve highway)

Skeletal System - Purpose Storage: –Minerals for proper nerve and muscle function –Yellow marrow contains fat that can be used for energy in bone construction and other cell functions.

Skeletal System - Purpose Movement: –The skeletal system provides support to a vertebrate’s body, functions as levers and allows for movement – Running, Sitting and Standing

Skeletal System – Purpose Blood Cell Formation: –Red marrow inside bones produces red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all cells in the body. –Thus, without the skeletal system you would not have red blood cells and the other cells of your body would not receive oxygen. Which cellular process would cease to happen if your cells lacked oxygen?

Skeletal System – Bone Construction Compact Bone: –No visible open spaces, usually on the outside of the skeletal system.

Skeletal System – Bone Construction Spongy Bone: –Honeycomb structure inside the bone that provides strength. Bones can withstand twice the pressure of granite because of the structure of spongy bone.

Skeletal System – Bone Construction Marrow: –Red marrow produce red blood cells –Red marrow is soft tissue

Skeletal System – Bone Construction Cartilage: –As a baby most of your skeletal system is cartilage. –As you mature the cartilage turns to bone –You still have plates of cartilage in your body that will harden in adulthood into bone. –Cartilage also cushions the areas where bones meet –Your nose contains cartilage.

Skeletal System – Bone Construction Joints: –A place where two or more bones connect –Some joints are fixed such as those in your skull –Some joints allow movement such as those in your elbow –There are three types of joints that allow for movement

Skeletal System – Bone Construction Ligaments: –Keep joints together by acting as flexible connectors between bones. –Strained ligaments will heal naturally over time. –Torn ligaments require surgery.