SKELETAL SYSTEM BASICS
This system is made up of six main components and provides support, protection, and movement for the body.
What is the skeletal system?
This inorganic material in bone provides hardness and strength.
What is mineral (calcium and phosphate)?
This is the shaft of a long bone.
What is the diaphysis?
The femur is an example of this type of bone.
What is a long bone?
This is the connection between two or more bones.
What is a joint?
These are the six major functions of the skeletal system.
What are: support, protection, movement, mineral storage, blood cell production, and insulation/heat production?
This bone cell type secretes the collagen matrix and builds new bone.
What are osteoblasts?
This region at the end of a long bone contains spongy bone and is involved in joint formation.
What is the epiphysis?
These are small bones embedded in tendons, with the patella being the most common example.
What are sesamoid bones?
This joint type allows no movement and is found in the skull.
What is a fibrous joint?
This type of bone is dense and provides strength, while the other type is spongy and lighter.
What are compact bone and cancellous (trabecular) bone?
These cells maintain daily bone activities and exchange nutrients and waste.
These cells maintain daily bone activities and exchange nutrients and waste.
This plate allows bones to increase in length during childhood and adolescence.
What is the growth plate (epiphyseal plate)?
This bone type is thin, often curved, and protects organs like the ribs.
What are flat bones?
This joint type allows slight movement and connects bones with cartilage.
What is a cartilaginous joint?
Compact bone is located here, while cancellous bone is found in this region of long bones.
What is: compact bone on the outer surface (cortex) and cancellous bone in the interior and epiphyses?
This process involves osteoclasts breaking down bone while osteoblasts build it back up.
What is bone remodeling?
Bones increase in thickness through this process, which adds new bone to the outer surface.
What is appositional growth?
Vertebrae are examples of this cube-like bone type that absorbs shock.
What are short bones?
This is the most movable joint type and is lubricated by synovial fluid.
What is a synovial joint?
Explain the structural differences between compact and cancellous bone and why each type is suited to its location in the skeleton.
What is: Compact bone has tightly packed osteons with minimal space, providing strength and durability for the outer layer. Cancellous bone has a lattice-like structure with spaces filled by marrow, making it lighter while still providing support and housing blood cell production?
Bone is approximately 65% inorganic material. Explain what organic material makes up the remaining 35% and how the balance between inorganic and organic components affects bone properties.
What is: The remaining 35% is organic material, primarily collagen, which provides tensile strength and flexibility. The balance between the hard inorganic minerals and flexible organic collagen allows bone to be both strong and somewhat flexible, preventing it from being too brittle?
Explain the difference between length growth and thickness growth, including which bone structures are responsible for each process and when each type of growth stops.
What is: Length growth occurs at the growth plate (epiphyseal plate) through interstitial growth, where cartilage cells divide and ossify. This stops when the growth plate closes in adulthood. Thickness growth occurs through appositional growth at the periosteum, where osteoblasts add new bone to the outer surface. This continues throughout life?
Match all five bone types with their descriptions: long bones, short bones, flat bones, sesamoid bones, and irregular bones. Provide one example for each. (EACH PART WORTH 200 POINTS)
What is: Long bones (cylindrical; support weight and act as levers—femur), Short bones (cube-like; absorb shock—vertebra), Flat bones (thin, often curved; protect organs—ribs), Sesamoid bones (small, embedded in tendons—patella), and Irregular bones (varied shapes—wrist bones)?
Complete the chart comparing the three main joint types, including the tissue connecting bones, degree of mobility, and an example for each.
What is: Fibrous joints (connected by fibrous tissue, immovable, skull sutures), Cartilaginous joints (connected by cartilage, slightly movable, intervertebral discs), and Synovial joints (connected by ligaments with synovial fluid, freely movable, knee joint)?