The Skeletal System

NLT Oasis Institute

Subject: Human and Social Biology
Level: CSEC
 Skeletal

• Skeletal are very important to most animals for support and

movement. Animals need support against the force of gravity
and they need a way of moving their bodies around. In soft-
bodied animals such as worms the skeletal usually depends on
fluid trapped within the body of the animal (Known as a
hydrostatic skeletal).
• Sometimes the soft body is combined with a protective

shell ( like a small). The arthropods ( which include

insects and crustaceans) have developed a rigid external

skeleton (exoskeleton) to do the same job.

 The human Skeletal

• The human skeleton is an internal structure made mainly of

bone and cartilage, which provide a framework for the body.

Ligaments and tendons are tissues that are also closely

associated with the skeletal.

 The Skeletal tissues
• Everyone knowns that the skeleton is made up of bone, but there is
much more to it than that. Bone is an important part of the skeletal
system, but there are other tissues associated with it that play a
major role in the smooth functioning of the system as a whole.
These tissues include ligaments, cartilage and tendons. All of the
skeletal tissues have distinctive physical properties that adapt them
for their functions within the body.
Picture Showing the Skeletal System
Long Bone
Cartilage

• Cartilage is another very strong tissue found in the skeleton but is

flexible rather than rigid. Its structure is rather like bone without the

calcium salts, with cartilage cells embedded in a collagen matrix.

Much of the skeleton us first formed as cartilage, which is then

hardened when calcium salts are deposited in it.

 Did you Know?

• The smallest bones in your body are found in your middle ear. Three

tiny bones called malleus, incus and stapes ( hammer, Advil and

stirrup) transfer sound waves across from your outer ear to your

inner ear and play a vital role in your hearing.

 Ligaments and Tendons

• Ligaments attach bones to other bones in joints – they form the

capsule of the joint that holds the whole arrangement of bones

in place. ligaments have a great deal of tensile strength. That

means they can withstand a lot of stretching or pulling.

• And they have a certain amount of elasticity so that as the bones

move within a joint the ligament capsule stretches to allow that

to happen without damage.

• Tendons on the other hand, attach muscles to bones. Like

ligaments they have a great deal of tensile strength- they can

• Withstand being stretched – but they have very little

elasticity. This us very important, because if tendons

stretched when muscles contracted they wouldn’t move the

bones.
Summary of the main properties of the skeletal tissues:

• Bone is hardened by calcium salts and resists compression, bending and

stretching.

• Cartilage is strong but not ridge so it can be compressed and absorb shock.

• Ligaments have tensile strength and some elasticity so joints can bend
without the bones dislocating.

• Tendons have tensile strength and little elasticity and they attach muscles to
the bone.
 Joints
• Joints are of vital importance in our skeleton. If the bony structure was all in

one piece our bodies would be supported and internal organs would be

protected, but movement would be completely impossible. Fortunately the

body contains a large number of joints of different types and so we ( and all

other vertebrates) can move freely.

 Structure of a Joint
• At a joint two bones meet and in most cases they move against each other.

there are a number of very different types of joints. Some, like those in our

skull and pelvis, are fused together and allow little or no movement. The

joints in our skulls are not fused when we are born – the bones are separate.
• Some joints, like the ones in our fingers, knees and elbows, are known as

hinge joints because they work like hinge – they allow an opening and

closing movement. Other joints, like our shoulders and hips, allow very free

movement. A ball of bone on the end of one bone in the joint fits into a

smooth socket in the other bone in the joint. This gives lots of free rotational

movement and those joints are known as ball- and – socket joints.
Picture of a Hinge Joint
Picture of a Ball- and – Socket Joint
• In very active joints, like the hip, knee, shoulder and elbow, the movements are

made almost constantly. These joints are known as synovial joints. Even the

cartilage cover is not sufficient to keep these joints moving smoothly.

Degenerative diseases of the joints cause more problems as people get older.

Osteoarthritis is largely due to wear and tear on the joints and the changes

which come about through aging. The cartilage that lines the joints is replaced

less effectivey and becomes worn away or very thin.

 End of Class

• Revision on topic tomorrow at 3 pm to 6 pm.

• Muscles and movement sub-topic will be discussed after the revision

• In class activity on the topic Skeletal System

• Home work will be posted on the google classroom over the weekend.