Functions of the Skeletal System Your skeleton has five major functions: provides shape and support enables you to move protects your organs produces blood cells stores minerals and other materials until your body needs them.

Osteocyte Nerve Cells: Nerve cells, or neurons, look different and have different functions from red blood cells. They carry and transmit messages, acting as telephone wires. Some of these cells may reach 2 meters long!

Osteocytes (Bone cells) Function: Provide a strong matrix of minerals to provide ridged shape and support as well as strength. Signal when new bone needs to be formed or when old bone needs repaired.

Chondrocytes (Cartilage) Nerve Cells: Nerve cells, or neurons, look different and have different functions from red blood cells. They carry and transmit messages, acting as telephone wires. Some of these cells may reach 2 meters long!

Chondrocytes/Cartilage Function: The cells produce the surrounding “gel” that makes cartilage smooth and allows for joints to move with little friction. Because the cells are fixed in the gel-matrix of cartilage, and don’t have access to blood vessels, cartilage grows very slowly.

Marrow (stem cells) Nerve Cells: Nerve cells, or neurons, look different and have different functions from red blood cells. They carry and transmit messages, acting as telephone wires. Some of these cells may reach 2 meters long!

Marrow Function: Red marrow (in the center of the bone) makes red and white blood cells as well as platelets. Yellow marrow (in the spaces of spongy bone) stores fat for extreme cases of starvation and can become red marrow if needed.

Homeostasis in the Skeletal System: An example of how the skeletal system helps the body maintain homeostasis is by regulating the amount of calcium in the blood stream. One function of the skeletal system is to store calcium until the body needs it. Calcium is needed not just for bone strength, but also for contractions of the muscles. If there isn’t enough calcium in the bloodstream, your muscles cannot contract. This leads to the osteoclasts (bone cells the breakdown bone) dissolving part of the compact bone, releasing calcium into the bloodstream. When there is extra calcium, the osteoblast (bone making cells) store it in the compact bone. This regulation of calcium is one example of how this system helps maintain homeostasis

Homeostasis: Basic: Good: One of the major functions of the skeletal system is to control the amount of calcium in the body. The bones store extra calcium. Good: The skeletal system plays a major role in helping the body maintain homeostasis. One of the major functions is to regulate the amount of calcium in the body. When the amount of calcium in the blood becomes too high, the bones cells absorb it so it can be stored. When the amount of calcium in the blood drops too low, the bone cells release it back into the bloodstream.

Excellent: One function of the skeletal system is to store calcium until the body needs it. Calcium is needed not just for bone strength, but also for contractions of the muscles. If there isn’t enough calcium in the bloodstream, your muscles cannot contract. This leads to the osteoclasts (bone cells the breakdown bone) dissolving part of the compact bone, releasing calcium into the bloodstream. When there is extra calcium, the osteoblast (bone making cells) store it in the compact bone. This regulation of calcium is one example of how this system helps maintain homeostasis.

Plagiarism Support: The skeletal system is made up of bones and cartilages. There are 206 bones in the body and these bones and cartilages help provide the support and points of attachment to many soft tissues, muscles and ligaments in the body. There are different types of bones like the long bones, short bones, flat bones, irregular bones and sesamoid bones. The functions also include providing rigidity and body shape. It helps supporting the weight of muscles and internal organs, without which the body would collapse. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/skeletal-system- functions.html

Still Plagiarism… Support: The skeletal system is made out of bones and cartilage. There are 206 bones in the body that help provide the support and points of attachment for many soft tissues, muscles and ligaments in the body. There are different types of bones like the long bones, short bones, flat bones, irregular bones and sesamoid bones. The functions also include providing structure and body shape. It helps support the weight of muscles and internal organs. Without the skeleton the body would collapse.

In your own words… Shape and Support: One of the main functions of the skeletal system is to provide shape and support for the other systems of the body. The bones give shape to the skin and provide something for the muscles to pull on. The 206 bones are different shapes and sizes depending upon their locations and their functions. If we didn’t have this frame work we would be a pile of mush.

Peer Edit Read the paragraph Write 3 compliments for the author’s paragraph (on a lined piece of paper) 1.__________________________________________ 2.__________________________________________ 3.__________________________________________

Write 3 suggestions for the author’s paragraph (on a lined piece of paper) 1.__________________________________________ 2.__________________________________________ 3.__________________________________________

Read the paragraph again Read the paragraph again. Circle, underline or use editing marks to make corrections to the paragraph. Look for spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors.

Example Paragraph The skeletal system does more than just hold you up. They provide shape and support, enable movement, protect organs, produce blood cells in the red marrow, and lastly, they store minerals in the yellow marrow. One function of the skeletal system is to store calcium until the body needs it. Calcium is needed not just for bone strength, but also for contractions of the muscles. If there isn’t enough calcium in the bloodstream, your muscles cannot contract. This leads to the osteoclasts (bone cells the breakdown bone) dissolving part of the compact bone, releasing calcium into the bloodstream. When there is extra calcium, the osteoblast (bone making cells) store it in the compact bone. This regulation of calcium is one example of how this system helps maintain homeostasis.