The skeleton

The human skeleton is a strong, flexible frame that supports the body and protects the internal organs. It forms a system of levers moved by muscles to let the body move. The human skeleton has about 206 bones, some of which fuse together in adults.

📖 In short

The skeleton is the frame that holds up your body from the inside, like the steel frame that holds up a building. It's made of 206 connected bones, gives your body its shape, protects your organs and helps you move.

🤩 Did you know?

Your hand and wrist alone have 27 bones.
Your skull has 22 bones fused together.
Inside bones, marrow makes blood cells.
Humans have 12 pairs of ribs.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 A shield for the organs

The skull is a strong box that protects the brain, the ribcage protects the heart and lungs with its curved ribs, and the spine protects the spinal cord.

🔍 Levers for moving

Bones work like levers: muscles pull them and they move. Thanks to your skeleton you can walk, run and throw a ball.

💡 Parts of the skeleton

The skeleton has two parts: the axis, which includes the skull, spine and ribs, and the limbs, which include the bones of the arms, hands, legs and feet.

🎯 Animal skeletons

All vertebrate animals have bony skeletons, like fish, birds and cats. Insects and crabs have a hard skeleton on the outside covering their body.

📸 More pictures

Some animal skeletons: all vertebrates share a basic skeleton plan, with an axial skeleton and a limb skeleton. The axial skeleton is made of the skull, spine and ribs. The limb skeleton is made of the bones of the limbs (arms, legs, wings and fins) and their supports.

🧩 Test yourself

1 What protects the brain?

2 How many pairs of ribs do humans have?

3 Your hand and wrist alone have ?? bones.

4 Which picture shows “The skeleton”?