Anatomy/Skeletal System

The skeletal system is a topic of the event Anatomy.

For the skeletal system you will need to know:
 * 1) The names of the bones and their surface anatomy as shown on a diagram or X-ray
 * 2) Name, structure, and function of types of joints and ranges allowed by each joint
 * 3) Structures of bones in cross-section
 * 4) How to distinguish between types of vertebrae
 * 5) Diseases such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, disc herniation, and scoliosis
 * 6) Effects of exercise on the skeletal system
 * 7) How the skeletal system works together with the muscular system.

Bone Types

 * Long bone: Type that makes up most of the arms and legs (often associated with your limbs). They are classified as bones that have a greater length than width.
 * Flat bone: Found in areas such as the ribs and cranium. (They are expanded into broad, flat plates.) These bones serve to protect internal organs.
 * Short bone: Found in areas such as the carpals of your wrist and tarsals of your ankles. They are classified as bones that have a greater width than length.
 * Sesamoid Bones: A sub-section of Short bone found within tendons. Named for their "Sesame Seed" shape. (Ex. Patella, Pisiform)
 * Irregular Bones: Bones found that don't fit into other categories. (Ex. Hip bones, vertebrae)

Types of Joints

 * Ball and Socket: one side of the joint is a rounded, ball-shaped bone, which fits into a cup-like socket of a different bone; allows for a huge range of movement and is found in the hip and the shoulder
 * Condyloid: an ovoid head of one bone moves in an elliptical cavity of another, allowing all movements except axial rotation; this type is found at the wrist to connect the radius and carpal bones, and at the base of the index finger
 * Saddle: similar movements to a condyloid joint, a joint where two saddle-shaped ends of a bone meet, found in the thumbs
 * Hinge: only allows flexing and extending movement; found in the elbow, knee, and in the phalanges of both the fingers and toes
 * Pivot: one bone rotates around another, allows rotating movement similar to that of a lid on a jar

Bones of the Skull
occipital, temporal, zygomatic, all that jazz

Spinal Vertebrae
There are five main segments of the vertebral column: the cervical vertebrae, the thoracic vertebrae, the lumbar vertebrae, the sacral vertebrae and the coccyx.

Cervical Vertebrae
There are 7 cervical vertebrae beginning immediately below the skull and extending to the base of the neck. The bottom cervical vertebrae, C7, sticks out near the top of the shoulder blades (scapulas).

Thoracic Vertebrae
There are 12 thoracic vertebrae found in the human torso. The thoracic vertebrae are attached to the ribs which enclose the thorax. The ribcage consists of true (1-7) and false (8-10) ribs, which attach to the sternum at the front of the thorax, while the floating ribs (11-12) at the bottom of the ribcage do not attach to anything.

Lumbar Vertebrae
The 5 lumbar vertebrae comprise the lower back area. They provide flexibility and stability to the trunk region.

Sacral Vertebrae
The sacrum, or sacral vertebrae, forms during adulthood and is considered part of the pelvic region. It attaches the coccyx to the rest of the vertebral column.

Coccyx
The coccyx, or tailbone, is a vestigial structure that comprises of 3 to 5 bony segments.

Effects of Exercise on the Skeletal System
Weight-bearing physical activity causes new bone tissue to form, and this makes bones stronger. Bones and muscles both become stronger when muscles push and tug against bones during physical activity.

Resources

 * Skeletal System
 * Skeletal tutorials
 * Great tutorial on the human skeleton
 * List of Bones in the Skeletal System