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Facts about the Skeletal System

Fun facts of the human body, bones and the skeletal system.

More fun facts about the human body for kids. Children will love these trivia on bones and the skeletal system. The facts presented here are unique and children will be able to easily learn about the human body.

• The human skeletal system’s major functions include giving the body its shape, providing support, protection to internal organs, assisting in body movement, endocrine regulation and most importantly the production of new blood cells.
• The medical term for the science of learning about the human skeletal system is called Orthopaedics.
• An adult human’s skeletal system consists of 206 bones. However, at birth it consists of close to 300 bones.
• The axial part of the adult human skeleton consists of 80 bones. This includes the skull, rib cage and the vertebral column. It helps us maintain our erect posture.
• The appendicular part of the adult human skeleton consists of 126 bones. This includes the pectoral and pelvic girdles, and the bones of the upper and lower limbs. It protects organs and assists movement.
• The zones where bones meet are known as joints.
• The ligaments hold the bones in place with the help of muscles and tissues. While a harder tissue known as cartilage covers bone joints to prevent bone rubbing.
• The region with the most bones is in the hand, wrist and fingers consisting of 54 bones.
• The longest bone in the human body is the femur or the thighbone.
• The smallest bone in the human body is in the middle ear, called the stirrup or staples.
• The human bones steadily grow from birth until we reach our mid-twenties.
• The adult human skeleton's bone mass is at its maximum density in the thirties.
• If broken, the bones will regenerate.
• The difference between a human and female skeleton is that the latter is a bit smaller and the pelvis bones vary in form, size and dimension in order to aid childbirth.
• Most of the human bones have a strong, dense outer layer with the middle layer containing a soft, tissue called bone marrow.
• Bone marrow aids in the production of new red blood cells. These cells are used to carry oxygen throughout the body. Marrow also produces lymphocytes, a key component of the body's immune system.
• Calcium is important for our bones and it helps keep them healthy.

We are sure your kids enjoyed these fun facts of the human body, bones and the skeletal system.

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