Have you ever wondered how many bones are there in the human body?
Wonder no more because in this post, we will tell you the number of bones in the human body.
The Bones in the Human Skeleton
The adult human body has 206 bones. An infant may have from 300-350 bones at birth.
Some of these bones fuse together as the infant grows.
When some bones fuse and become one bone (most obvious examples are in the skull, sacrum and hip bones) the number of overall bones drops to the 206 bones that most adults have.
1. skull (22)
Cranial bones
frontal bone
parietal bone (2)
yogeo bone (2)
occipital bone
sphenoid bone
ethmoid bone
Facial bones
mandible
maxilla (2)
palatine bone (2)
zygomatic bone (2)
nasal bone (2)
lacrimal bone (2)
vomer bone
inferior nasal conchae (2)
2. The middle ears (6)
malleus (2)
incus (2)
stapes (2)
3. The throat (1)
hyoid bone
4. The shoulder girdle (4)
scapula or shoulder blade (2)
clavicle or collarbone (2)
5. The thorax (25 or 27)
sternum (manubrium, body of sternum, and xiphoid process)
ribs (2 x 12)
6. The vertebral column (24)
cervical vertebrae (7)
thoracic vertebrae (12)
lumbar vertebrae (5)
7. The arms (2)
humerus (2)
8. The forearms (4)
radius (2)
ulna (2)
9. The hands (54)
Carpal (wrist) bones
scaphoid bone (2)
lunate bone (2)
triquetral bone (2)
pisiform bone (2)
trapezium (2)
trapezoid bone (2)
capitate bone (2)
hamate bone (2)
Metacarpus (palm) bones
metacarpal bones (5 × 2)
Digits of the hands (finger bones or phalanges)
proximal phalanges (5 × 2)
intermediate phalanges (4 × 2)
distal phalanges (5 × 2)
10. The pelvis (4)
coccyx
sacrum
hip bone (innominate bone or coxal bone) (2)
11. The thighs (2)
femur (2)
12. The legs (6)
patella (2)
tibia (2)
fibula (2)
13. The feet (52)
Tarsal (ankle) bones
calcaneus (heel bone) (2)
talus (2)
navicular bone (2)
medial cuneiform bone (2)
intermediate cuneiform bone (2)
lateral cuneiform bone (2)
cuboid bone (2)
Metatarsus bones
metatarsal bone (5 × 2)
Digits of the feet (toe bones or phalanges)
proximal phalanges (5 × 2)
intermediate phalanges (4 × 2)
distal phalanges (5 × 2)
Main Function of the skeletal system
Some of the skeletal system’s functions are more noticeable than many others. You can feel how your bones support you, encourage movement, and protect your body’s soft organs as you walk. The bones and cartilages of your skeletal system serve as a scaffold to support the rest of your body, just as the steel beams of a building do to support its weight. You’d be a limp mass of organs, tissue, and skin if you didn’t have a skeletal system. Bones help you move by acting as attachment points for your muscles. Internal organs are often protected by bones, which cover or surround them.
How to Protect your skeletal system
Here are some ways to protect your skeletal system:
- Vitamin C, which contributes to the development of bone-forming cells, is found mainly in vegetables. Veggies and yellows have also been shown to aid calcium absorption in recent studies.
- Physical exercise is particularly important for people that have joint problems in their lower limbs, such as hip and knee inflammation.
- Tobacco use and heavy alcohol intake are linked to a decline in bone density. If you are a smoker, stop smoking or consider enrolling in a smoking cessation program. If you are an alcoholic, the rule of thumb is to limit yourself to one drink a day.