What Is The Primary Purpose Of The Human Skeletal System?

Overview:

The internal skeleton of a human serves as a framework for the body. Many separate bones and cartilages make up this framework. The ligaments and tendons are bands of fibrous connective tissue that are in close proximity to the skeleton’s parts. This primary structure and functions of the skeleton of a human being is the main focus of this article.  The human skeletonsystem, like those of other vertebrates, is divided into two sections, each with its own origins and specific characteristics. The axial, which includes the vertebral column or the spine and much of the cranium, and the appendicular, which includes the pelvic (hip) and pectoral (shoulder) girdles, as well as the bones and cartilages of the limbs. The visceral skeleton, which includes the lower jaw, some upper jaw parts, and the branchial arches, which includes the hyoid bone, are also parts of the axial skeleton.

When these subdivisions of the skeleton are compared to the softer parts of the human body, such as the nervous system, it becomes clear that the skeleton’s functions are divided into three categories which are support, protection, and motion. Support is the most rudimentary and earliest of these functions, just as the axial component of the skeleton was the first to emerge. The vertebral column, which in lower species corresponds to the notochord, is the trunk’s principal support.

The Primary Divisions Of The Skeletol System:

Axial:

The vertebral column is made up of 32–34 bones. The number of vertebrae varies in different people as the lower two portions, sacral and coccygeal bone, may vary in length. A portion of the rib cage which consist of 12 pairs of ribs and the sternum, and the skull make up the axial skeleton which in total consists of 80 bones.

Humans maintain their upright posture thanks to the axial skeleton, which transfers weight from the head, trunk, and upper extremities to the lower extremities via the hip joints. Several ligaments support the bones of the spine. The erector spinae muscles provide support and help with balance.

Appendicular:

The pectoral girdles, upper limbs, pelvic girdle or pelvis, and lower limbs make up the appendicular skeleton (126 bones). Their primary roles are to allow mobility and to protect the digestive, excretory, and reproductive organs.

Functions Of The Skeletal System:

The skeleton has six primary functions: support, movement, protection, blood cell generation, mineral storage, and endocrine regulation.

Support:

The skeleton is the scaffolding that holds the body together and keeps it in form. The pelvis, together with the ligaments and muscles that support it, serves as a foundation for the pelvic structures. The lungs would collapse if the rib cages, costal cartilages, and intercostal muscles were not there.

Movement:

The joints between the bones allow movement, with some allowing a greater range of motion than others. For example, the ball and socket joint allows for more movement than the pivot joint in the neck. Skeletal muscles, which are linked to the skeleton at various points on bones, power movement. The main mechanics for movement are muscles, bones, and joints, which are all coordinated by the nervous system. Human agility and dexterity were thought to be impaired in prehistoric times due to a decline in bone density. Human bone density has decreased dramatically as a result of the shift from hunting to agriculture.

Protection:

The skeleton aids in the protection of our numerous critical internal organs.

• The brain is protected by the skull.
• The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae.
• The lungs, heart, and major blood veins are all protected by the rib cage, spine, and sternum.

Production of blood cells:

Haematopoiesis, or the development of blood cells in the bone marrow, takes place in the skeleton. Haematopoiesis occurs largely in the marrow of long bones like the femur and tibia in youngsters. It mostly affects an individuals pelvis, skull, vertebrae, and sternum.

Storage:

Bone marrow can store iron in ferritin and is involved in iron metabolism, while the bone matrix may store calcium and is involved in calcium metabolism. Bones, on the other hand, are made up of a mixture of chondroitin sulphate and hydroxyapatite, with the latter accounting for nearly seventy percent of a bone’s mass. Hydroxyapatite, on the other hand, is made up of forty percent calcium, forty one percent oxygen, eighteen percent phosphorus, and 0.2 percent hydrogen by mass. Chondroitin sulphate is a type of sugar that is mostly made up of oxygen and carbon.

Endocrine control:

Osteocalcin is a hormone produced by bone cells that aids in the regulation of blood sugar also known as glucose and fat deposition. Osteocalcin boosts the number of insulin-producing cells and reduces fat storage while also increasing insulin secretion and sensitivity.

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