Your body has a special support system that helps you stand tall and move around. This system is called your skeleton, and it’s made up of bones. These bones give your body its shape and protect all the important parts inside. Did you know that your skeleton has more than 200 bones? These bones help you do things like stand, walk, and run!
There are two main types of bones in your body: spongy and cortical. Spongy bones are light and found at the ends of long bones, like those in your arms and legs. They are also in your ribs, skull, joints, and spine. Even though they are called “spongy,” they are strong and help you do activities like running and jumping.
Inside the spongy bones, there is something called bone marrow. Bone marrow is important because it makes red and white blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen around your body, and white blood cells help fight off germs. There are also platelets, which help your blood clot when you get a cut.
Cortical bones, also known as compact bones, are thicker and make up about 80% of your skeleton. They are very strong and help support your body. Different bones have different jobs. Long bones help you stand, short bones are in your wrists and feet, flat bones like your skull protect your brain, and irregular bones like your spine have special shapes.
Your vertebrae, which are the bones in your spine, protect your spinal cord. The spinal cord is like a highway for messages between your brain and body. Without these bones, your spinal cord could get hurt, which would make moving difficult.
Your skull is like a helmet for your brain, eyes, and face. It’s important to wear a helmet when biking or skateboarding to protect your skull. Your rib cage, made of 24 ribs, protects your heart, lungs, and stomach. The sternum, or breastbone, is in the middle of your chest and also helps keep these organs safe.
Your bones work with muscles and joints to help you move. A joint is where two bones meet, like your knee, which is the biggest and strongest joint. Ligaments connect bones at the joints, and tendons attach muscles to bones. The hyoid bone, which helps support your tongue, is special because it doesn’t connect to any other bone.
When you are born, you have 300 bones, but as you grow, some of them join together. By the time you are an adult, you have 206 bones. About one-fourth of these bones are in your feet and ankles!
To keep your bones strong, make sure to get plenty of rest, eat healthy foods, drink milk, and stay active. Wearing protective gear during sports is also important. Taking care of your bones will help them support you for a long time.
We hope you enjoyed learning about your amazing skeleton! Remember, every bone in your body is important, and taking care of them is key to staying healthy and active.
Bone Hunt Adventure: Go on a bone hunt around your house or classroom! Find objects that are similar in shape or function to different bones in your body. For example, a rolling pin could represent a long bone like your femur, and a small block could be like a short bone in your wrist. Share your findings with your classmates and explain why you chose each object.
Skeleton Dance: Create a fun dance routine that shows how your bones help you move. Think about how your arms, legs, and spine move when you dance. You can even make up a song about bones to go along with your dance. Perform your dance for your family or friends and teach them about the different bones and joints you are using.
Bone Health Challenge: Keep a “Bone Health Diary” for a week. Each day, write down one thing you did to keep your bones healthy, like drinking milk, eating a healthy snack, or playing outside. At the end of the week, share your diary with your class and discuss why each activity is important for bone health.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Your body has a support system that keeps it stable when you’re standing up. This support system is called your skeleton, which is made up of bones. Bones provide the structure for your body and protect every part of it. Your skeleton consists of more than 200 different bones, allowing you to stand, walk, and run.
There are two types of bones in your body: spongy and cortical. Spongy bones are lightweight and found at the ends of your longer bones, such as in your arms and legs, as well as in your ribs, skull, joints, and vertebrae. Cortical bones, which are harder, surround the spongy bones. Spongy bones have tiny holes that give them a sponge-like appearance, and they make up about 20 percent of your skeleton. Despite being called spongy, these bones are strong and designed to withstand activities like running, jumping, and playing.
Bone marrow, located in the holes of spongy bones, contains stem cells that develop into red and white blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body, while white blood cells help fight infections. Additionally, there are platelets in your bone marrow that assist with blood clotting when you get cut.
Cortical bones, also known as compact or lamellar bones, are thicker and stiffer, making up about 80 percent of your skeleton. They provide strength to your longer bones. Different types of bones serve various functions: long bones support your body weight, short bones (like those in your wrists and feet) are cube-shaped, flat bones (such as your skull and ribs) protect vital organs, and irregular bones (like your vertebrae and jaw) have unique shapes.
The vertebrae protect your spinal cord, which transmits messages from the brain throughout the body. If the vertebrae were absent, the spinal cord could be injured, potentially affecting mobility. Sesamoid bones, which are small and found within muscles or tendons, include the kneecap, the largest sesamoid bone.
Your skull protects your brain, eyes, face, jaw, nose, and ears. It’s important to wear a helmet during activities like biking or skateboarding to safeguard your skull. The rib cage, consisting of 12 ribs on each side (24 total), protects the heart, lungs, and stomach. The sternum, or breastbone, is located at the center of the chest and also helps protect vital organs.
Leg bones connect to the spine through the pelvis. The thigh bone, or femur, connects to the knee, while the lower leg consists of the tibia and fibula, which connect to the foot. The upper arm bone connects to the collarbone and shoulder.
Interestingly, when you are born, you have 300 bones, but as you grow, some of these bones fuse together, resulting in a total of 206 bones in adulthood. About one-fourth of these bones, or around 52, are found in your feet and ankles.
Bones work in conjunction with muscles and joints to facilitate movement. A joint is where two bones meet, with the knee joint being the largest and strongest. Ligaments connect bones at the joints, while tendons attach muscles to bones. The hyoid bone, which supports the tongue, is unique as it is not connected to any other bone.
Every bone in your body is essential. For instance, without your femur, you can’t walk, and without the tiny bones in your hand, you can’t catch a ball or write. To keep your bones healthy and strong, it’s important to get plenty of rest, eat nutritious foods, drink milk and dairy products, wear protective equipment during sports, and stay active through exercise and play.
Taking good care of your bones will ensure they support you for a long time. We hope you enjoyed learning with us! Visit us at learnbrite.org for thousands of free resources and solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.
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