Bones are one of the most important components of the human body, providing support and structure for the body and protecting vital organs from damage. Bones are made up of a complex network of cells, proteins, and minerals, and are constantly changing in structure and composition throughout a person’s life. Bones provide the framework for our muscles, which enable us to move, and they house our blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. They also store important minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for healthy bones and teeth. Understanding the structure and function of bones is essential for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.
1. You have more bones when you are born!
When a baby is born it has around 300 bones.
As you grow older, these bones fuse together.
When you’re an adult, you end up having 206 bones!
2. Why do we have bones?
We have bones for a couple of reasons.
The first reason is it gives us a shape, allows us to stand up and bend our arms and legs!
If we didn’t have bones we’d be a bit like a worm!
The second reason is they protect our organs, things like our heart, lungs and even our brain!
3. Inside your bones there is something called bone marrow.
Bone marrow produces red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells.
Red blood cells carry oxygen and they also remove carbon dioxide from your body!
White blood cells are a part of the immune system.
They help to fight of viruses and and bacteria.
Platelets help your blood clot. So, if you fall over it will stop bleeding after a while and turn into a scab.
4. Our smallest bone is in our ear and it’s called the stapes!
It works with two other tiny bones to send sound waves to the inner ear.
Small but very useful!
Find out more below!
5. Our biggest bone is in our legs.
What is our biggest bone I hear you asking?!
Our biggest bone is the femur which is at the top of the leg!
The top end connects to your hip and the bottom end connects to your knee.
6. Your feet and hands are made up of lots of bones.
Your feet and hand have over half your bodies’ bones in them!
All of your hands and feet have a total of 106 bones.
That’s a lot!
7. You can break a bone.
If you break a bone it can be very painful.
When you first break it, your body will start to fix it straight away.
This is why it’s important to get some medical help to make sure it sets in the right place.
You will get a cast or brace which will help the bone set properly.
8. You need to have lots of calcium in your diet.
To keep your bones strong you need a lot of calcium in your diet.
Calcium is in lots of foods and drinks such as milk, cheese, leafy green vegetables and even nuts!
It’s also important to do lots of exercise.
9. The spine protects your spinal cord.
The spine is a very useful part of your skeleton!
It holds your body up and also protects the nerves in your spinal cord.
These nerves send signals between your brain and your body.
So for example, if you want to move your arm to pick something up, that’s how your brain sends a signal to your arm to move. Clever!
10. Your joints are bone too!
They help you move and do things like swim, ride a bike and run.
You have lots of joints all over your body including your elbows, knees and wrists.
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