What is a skeleton?
Many animals have skeletons to support and protect their body and to help it move.
The human skeleton is made of bones which grow as we grow. Your bones come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the largest are in your legs, and the smallest are in your ears.
Watch: Why is the skeleton important?
This video will show you why the skeleton is incredibly important for us humans!
Functions of the skeleton
All your bones have specific functions:
Protection - Your skull protects your brain, and your ribs protect your heart, lungs and other vital organThis is a really important part of the body that has a specific job. They are usually inside the body and the lungs, the heart and the stomach are all examples of organs. .
Support - The bones in your legs, back and neck keep you upright.
Movement - Your muscles pull on your bones so that you can move. jointIn animals' bodies, joints are the parts that connect different bones together and allow for movement. There is a joint in your knee, for example. between bones, like your elbows and knees, make this easier.
It is important to eat a healthy diet with enough calciumTo keep our bones strong and healthy, we need to have enough calcium in our bodies. Calcium is a mineral found in milk and other dairy products. to help your bones grow properly. We find calcium in dairy products like milk and cheese.
Activity 1: Skeleton selection
Try to identify the different parts of the skeleton.
Activity 2: Skeleton quiz
How much have you learnt about the skeleton? Try this quiz to find out!
Activity 3: Label the joints
Let's try to identify our joints.
- Find a picture of yourself or print one out.
- Draw arrows to each part of your body where you think there is a joint.
- Explain why this part of the body has a joint.
Why do we need two joints in our hips?
So that we can move both legs separately.
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