Your Skeletal System

The jointed framework of rigid bones that supports the soft tissues of the body is called Skeletal System. Being a system, the bones give the body its shape. The two main parts of the skeletal system are the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton.

The axial skeleton consists of the skull, the spine, and the rib cage. It is the axial bones who provides protection for vital parts of the

body. It is the skull that encloses the brain and supports and protects the sense organs in the head such as eyes, nose and ears. The spine, or backbone, is made up of separate bones called vertebrae. Joined together, it forms a hollow, somewhat flexible tube that protects the spinal cord.

The appendicular skeleton consists of the shoulder (pectoral) and hip (pelvic) girdles and the arm and leg bones. It is the pelvic girdle that protects the internal organs of the reproductive and urinary systems. However, the main function of the appendicular skeleton is movement.