All About Bones In The Human Body: Curious Human Skeleton Facts For Kids

Did you know that bone is a living tissue?

Did you know that a little baby has more bones than you? That’s right, a baby is born with 300 bones which eventually become 206 when the baby grows up because some bones fuse together to form a single bone.

Do you wish to know more such interesting facts about the human skeleton? Well then, stay tuned.

In general, an adult human body consists of 206 bones but some people might even have up to 213 bones.

The difference in the number of bones is formed at the time of the fusion of bones when we are kids. Hence, some people may have a varied number of fused vertebrae or floating ribs.

The internal human skeleton is the framework on which our body stands. An adult human skeleton can be divided into two types: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton.

Our skull, the vertebral column, and the rib cage are collectively known as the axial skeleton whereas the appendicular skeleton comprises the shoulder and pelvic girdles and the bones of our upper and lower limbs.

After reading about the role of bone marrow and bone tissue in the human body, also read about who discovered arsenic and Frederick Douglass facts.

Bones In A Human Child In The Womb

Babies do not have hard bones when they are in their mothers’ wombs or even when they are born.

They have cartilaginous bone tissues that eventually ossify when the baby takes calcium from the mother or from the food they take in after birth. When the baby becomes two or three years old its bones begin to solidify and fuse. This fusion continues for as long as 20-21 years.

Towards the end of the first trimester of the pregnancy, a baby's skeleton is almost developed but still not hard because bones of a baby are designed in a way that the baby can be normally delivered through the birth canal. The softer bones help the baby to pass through the birth canal at the time of the delivery.

After birth, bones grow along with the baby.

This means that the entire human skeletal system starts with cartilage and humans have the maximum amount of cartilage when they are babies.

Bone formation continues until a baby becomes an adult with 206 bones.

Four Main Bones

All the bones of the human body are of different shapes and sizes. Broadly, bones in an adult human body can be classified into four different types: long bones,  short bones, flat bones, and irregular bones.

Bones that have a relatively greater length than width are called long bones. These include thigh bones, arm bones, and leg bones.

Small bones with almost equal length and width and are more like a cube and they are called short bones. The bones of our ankles and wrists are short bones.

The bones of our brain box or cranium are flat bones. They are flat and bent in shape.

Bones that are not long, short, or flat are called irregular bones. These include our vertebrae and some bones of the skull. The skull protects the brain.

The Smallest Bone In A Human Being

The smallest bone of the human body is the stapes or ear bone. It is one of the three bones present in the middle ear (called ossicles). The stapes is stirrup-shaped and hence, is an irregular bone.

The human skeletal system includes the axial skeleton (consisting of 80 bones) and appendicular skeleton (consisting of 26 bones). Our backbone or the spine is a part of the axial skeleton.

There are seven bones in the neck, called cervical vertebrae; 12 bones in the chest, called thoracic vertebrae; and five bones in our lower back region, called lumbar vertebrae.

Hands and feet have the maximum number of bones of the human body parts. Each hand has 27 bones whereas each foot has 26 bones. Altogether, our hands and feet comprise 106 bones which is just three more than half the number of bones in our entire body.

Many people think that because of their larger bodies, males might have more bones than females. But, it is nothing like that.

An adult human, be it male or female, generally has an equal number of bones. The only difference is that males tend to have stronger skeletal muscles and bulkier bones and ball and socket joints with higher bone mass than females.

Have you ever considered a part of your body that seems useless to you? Well, the appendix, sitting in your lower right abdominal region, is a futile part of the human body since its function is unknown.

It is said - without much proof - that the appendix is the remains of a tail that was present in the anatomy of our human ancestors.

Red bone marrow is present inside spongy bone tissue inside a compact bone as well as a long bone. The thigh bone is a long bone, the hip bone is a pelvic bone. The knee joint is protected by a triangular-shaped bone, the patella.

The Human Skeleton System

There are three types of skeletons: hydrostatic skeleton, exoskeleton, and endoskeleton.

Out of the three types of skeletons, the hydrostatic skeleton does not contain bones. It is composed of a compartment called a coelom, which is a fluid-filled space. It is found in invertebrates like earthworms.

The exoskeleton is a hard outer framework that provides structure as well as protection to an organism. It lies above the outer tissue and is formed of a substance called chitin. The exoskeleton is found in arthropods like crabs.

The endoskeleton is a framework present underneath the tissue of an organism. It provides structure and protection to inner organs.

The skeletal system of the human body is a type of endoskeleton. The skeleton provides support and rigidity to the body, stores minerals and fats, protects the inner vital organs, and causes movement and locomotion. These bones also produce red and white blood cells.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for all about bones in human body then why not take a look at are your eyes an organ or are diamonds made from coal.