THE SKELETON (Chapter 7)

BONE CLASSIFICATION
1. Position
a. Axial division - skull, vertebral column, rib cage
b. Appendicular division girdles for limbs and limbs
2. Shape categorized into long bones, short bones, flat bones and irregular shaped bones
BONE SURFACE MARKINGS
1. Bone markings - bulges, depressions, holes etc. used for muscle and tendon attachments,
articulations and passageways for blood vessels and nerves
a. Condyle - rounded articulating projection
2. Passageways for blood vessels, nerves, etc.
a. Sinus - cavity within a bone; lined with mucus membrane; filled with air
b. Foramen - hole
c. Meatus - canal
AXIAL SKELETON
SKULL:
I. CRANIUM - contains of bones that protect the brain and for muscle attachments
1. Frontal bone, parietal bones, occipital bone with its foramen magnum (where the spinal cord
meets the brain) and occipital condyle (where the skull articulates with the first vertebrae),
temporal bones with its zygomatic arch and external auditory meatus, sphenoid bone with its
sella turcica (where the pituitary gland sits) and ethmoid bone
2. Sutures are where the cranial bones articulate with the other cranial bones
3. Cranial fossa are distinct depressions in the floor of the cranium
II. FACIAL BONES - contains face, sense organs, openings for nerves and blood vessels and
muscle attachment points
1. Mandible with its mandibular condyle as part of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), maxilla
bones, zygomatic bones, lacrimal bone, palatine bone as hard palate, vomer forming the nasal
septum, inferior nasal concha and nasal bones
III. ORBIT - houses the eyes
IV. NASAL CAVITY
V. PARANASAL SINUSES - cavities within some bones that function to lighten skull, warm air
and resonate voice

VI. Fontanels (soft spots) - growth areas of unossified fibrous membranes between fetal skull
bones that compress during childbirth
HYOID BONE in the neck; does not articulate with other bones; used as anchor for muscles
VERTEBRAL COLUMN protects spinal cord and consists of the following vertebral divisions:
cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum (fused vertebra) and coccyx/tailbone (fused vertebra)
VERTEBRAL COLUMN: curvatures
1. Normally is S shaped in appearance for support, stability and springiness
2. Abnormalities congenital, poor posture, disease or unequal muscle pull
a. Scoliosis - lateral curvature
b. Kyphosis - or hunchback; dorsally exaggerated curvature
c. Lordosis - exaggerated lumbar curvature; seen in pregnant women and people with bellies
VERTEBRAL COLUMN: intervertebral discs
1. Intervertebral discs fibrocartilage pads cushion between each vertebra
2. Herniated disc - disk squeezed out, pressing on nerves
VERTEBRAL COLUMN: atlas and axis
1. Atlas or C1 vertebra; articulates with occipital condyles
a. Function - up and down (yes) movement of the skull
2. Axis or C2 vertebra
a. Function - rotates head, like saying no
BONY THORAX - protection, support, muscle attachments for breathing
1. Sternum (breast bone) is located in the anterior midline of the thorax
2. Costal cartilage between the sternum and most ribs
3. Ribs 12 pairs; all articulate with vertebrae posteriorly
a. Classified as true ribs, false ribs and floating ribs depending upon attachment to sternum
APPENDICULAR SKELETON
PECTORAL GIRDLE (shoulder joint) consists of the clavicle (collar bone) and scapula
(shoulder blade) which articulate with the humerus
UPPER LIMB: arm (humerus)
UPPER LIMB: forearm consists of the ulna (the medial bone that contains the elbow) and the
radius (the lateral bone with strong articulation with the hand
UPPER LIMB: the hand consists of the carpal (wrist) bones, the metacarpals (hand) bones and

the phalanges (digits or finger bones)

PELVIC GIRDLE consist of the sacrum and the coxal bones
1. Coxal (hip) bones are made up of 3 fused bones:
a. Ilium - large superior part with its greater sciatic (nerve) notch
b. Ischium posterior, inferior part
c. Pubis anterior, inferior part with its pubic symphysis here the 2 pubic bones join and has
fibrocartilage disc between them
2. Acetabulum is the socket for the head of the femur (hip joint)
PELVIC GIRDLE: sex differences
1. Pubic arch and pelvic brim are wider in females to allow for childbirth
LOWER LIMB: thigh
1. Femur - largest bone of the body with its head (ball) that fits into the acetabulum
2. Patella (knee cap)
3. (Lower) leg consists of the tibia which is the medial bone that bears the weight of the body and
the fibula, the lateral bone and no weight bearing
4. The foot consists of the tarsal (ankle) bones including the calcaneus heel bone, the metatarsal
(foot) bones and the phalanges (digits or toes)