Biology 128 – Labs covering the Skeleton and Joints


 

A list of bones of the body, and other things I said the other night.

 

Axial Skeleton (skull is included, but is discussed later on)

Vertebral Column

Cervical Vertebrae              =              7  (But there are 8 cervical nerve pairs)

Thoracic                “              =              12 (with 12 pairs of ribs attached – 24 in all – 12 pairs of nerves)

Lumbar “              =              5               (# does vary fm 4-6 on occasion – 5 pairs of  spinal nerves)

Sacral                     “              =              5   (# varies from 4-7 – all are fused, ’s are elongated – usually 5

       pairs of spinal nerves)

Coccygeal             “              =              3  (most variable – 3-7 but only 1 pair of spinal nerves)

 

Spinal cord is shorter than spinal columns in Adults

 

Sternum                 =              3 bones fused into one – point of fusion is later in females than males

 

As I said before, the skull, the most complex part of the axial skeleton will be discussed later on

 

Appendicular Skeleton  - the limbs and bones (girdles) attaching them to the axial skeleton


Upper Limbs – Scapula – shoulder blade – has a ridge that can be felt that leads out to the shelf over the upper arm

Shelf = Acromion ,  in front of the shoulder below the Clavicle (collarbone) – Coracoid process can be felt.

Main body of Scapula, the acromion, and the coracoid all fuse from separate bony elements to form the adult scapula.

 

Clavicle (“S” shaped bone – collarbone) that attaches arm and scapula to sternum = Clavicle and Scapula together form the Pectoral girdle

Humerus – upper arm.  – forms a weak but mobile joint with scapula

Radius – outer bone of forearm that goes on to form the wrist joint at its far end (distal end) next to the hand.

Carpals – group of very strong bones (wrist bones) that mesh with the hand bones on the far side and with the radius on the near side.

 The carpals and bones of the palm (metacarpals) move pretty much as a unit.

Metacarpals – bones that form the palm

Manual Phalanges – bones that form the thumb and fingers (or digits)   there are 5 digits, but 14 phalanges that

make  them up.

Lower Limbs –Os coxa – pelvic bones that together form the pelvic girdle that meshes with the sacrum of the axial skeleton.  The

Os coxae are composed of three bones when we are young which fuse into the os coxae with growth and maturity.

  These bones become important as landmarks and are used in naming areas of the body and associated structures. 

These bones are: the Ilium (big hip bones), the Ischium (the rough bones we sit on), and the Pubis (which form a horizontal

connecting bar between the ilia.

 

Ilium

Ischium

Pubis

 

Femur (thighbone)

Tibia (shinbone)

Fibula (small long bone on the outside of the leg – malleolus forms the outer “Ankle”)

Tarsals – ankle bones, similar to the carpals, but which bear the weight of the body.  One of these is very

elongated and forms the heal bone (calcaneus bone).

Metatarsals – bones forming the Top of the foot or instep

Pedal Phalanges – your Toes.  Like the hand, there are 14 of these that make up the 5 pedal digits

 

 


 

 

 

 Biology 128 – the skull and a study of joints (arthrology)


 

Bones of the Skull:

-          Back side and bottom = Occipital bone,

-          Sides = Parietal Bones

-          In Front over Eyes – Frontal Bone

-          Bones below parietals that include the ear openings – Temporal bones

-          Cheekbones = Zygomatic bones

-          Face bones = mostly the Maxillary bones

-          Bridge of nose between orbits = Nasal bones

-          Movable Jaw bone = Mandible

-          In nasal aperture the middle bone = Vomer

-          On sides of nasal aperture = Inferior nasal conchal bones

-          Back of the orbits = Sphenoid bone

-          One bone between the eyes – forms medial side of each orbit = Ethmoid bone

-          Bones just behind spur of the maxilla bone and the Nasal bones with a groove in it are the Lacrimal bones

-          Back part of the roof of the mouth are the Palatine bones

 

In the ear are a set of tiny bones that form a linkage between the eardrum and the auditory sensing organ of the inner ear. 

These bones (only seen embedded in plastic) are the malleus, incus, and stapes.

 

All of which brings us to the subject of joints that hold the skeleton together ... 

 

Joints that should not move very much –

-          Suture joints – Look at the jagged junctions between cranial bones (there are 4 subtypes of sutures, some of

which are very strong and rigid.

-          Syndesmoses – think of the sacroiliac joint that only moves in late pregnancy – or between the upper part of

 the two leg bones – the Tibia and Fibula

-          Gomphoses – the little plug-in joints between teeth and jaws (a special form of syndesmoses)

 

Joints that move a little, and are supposed to:

-          Synarthroses – joined by stiff cartilage – like ribs to sternum – they allow you to breathe

-          Symphyses – joined by fibrous cartilage – like the intervertebral disks

 

Joints that should move fairly easily:

-          Synovial Joints – usually have slippery cartilage and fluids in the joints.  Most of the time, the bones would

-           fall apart if it were not for the ligaments that hold the bones together, but (usually) are outside the joints.

-           Synovial joints differ according to how many directions of movement are allowed at that joint.  – the more

-          movement, the weaker the joint (usually) and the more muscles are needed to stabilize the joint.

o        One direction of movement

§         Hinge joints – like the elbow, or your fingers –flexion and extension is about all

§         Pivot joints – the top two cervical vertebrae let you turn your head – or, the radius and

§          ulna when you rotate your hand from front to palm facing backward (pronation)

o        Two directions of movement

§         Saddle joints – the base of the thumb

o        Ellipsoidal joints – try the wrist or the ankle – flexion and extension, abduction and adduction

o        and a movement called circumduction too (this is also true for the saddle joints)

o        Many directions of movement 

§         Planar joints – little flat surfaces that let bones slip over each other in just about any

direction – the carpals slip a little against each other, and so to the facets between vertebrae

§         Ball-and-socket joints – humerus toshoulder or hip to femur.  Can do just about any movement

§         from flexion to extension, abduction and adduction, and, rotation around the long axis of the leg.