Skeletal
Functions:
The skeletal system supports and gives the body shape, helps the
body to move, protects your organs, provides a source of minerals to the
body, and produces blood cells. The human skeleton consists of 206 bones
that are held together by flexible tissue consisting of cartilage and ligaments.
These bones are balanced so a man can run, jump, and stand. The skeleton
also provides sites for the attachment of muscles.
Major parts and organs:
The major parts and organs of this system are bone, marrow, and
cartilage. Bone is the hard substance that forms the skeleton in vertebrate
animals. Bone has three layers. The sponge, inner layer, consists of
marrow in the formation of the blood cells. The compact middle layer
provides support for the body. The outer layer is a thin sheath that protects
the bone.
When a baby is born it has no bones, instead, it has cartilage. Also,
when a baby is born, it is born with over 350 cartilage pieces that harden and
join together. A baby is born with cartilage and 350 cartilage pieces so it can
fit through the birth canal easier, and as the baby grows into adulthood, the
bones will grow together. With the bones in two pieces, growth is easier and
faster.
Interactions with other systems:
The skeletal system interacts with the Circulatory, Respiratory,
Digestive, Urinary, Nervous, and Muscular systems. The bones protect
the heart and blood vessels in the Circulatory system. The bones are also
supplied by the blood vessels, and the bones make blood cells that are vital
to the circulatory system. The rib cage also protects some of the vital organs
of the Respiratory, Digestive, Urinary, and Nervous systems. Last, the
muscles of the Muscular system are connected to the bones by ligaments
and pull on the bones of the skeletal system.
Diseases:
Three diseases of the skeletal system are arthritis, osteoporosis, and
kyphosis. Arthritis is the inflammation of a joint. Over 100 different
diseases can produce arthritis. In most common and troubling forms,
arthritis may occur in one or more joints in the body, and is usually a
long-term condition that may progressively disable and handicap. Arthritis is
treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Osteoporosis is a bone
condition characterized by a decrease in mass, resulting in bones that are
more porous and more easily fractured than normal bones. Walking and
exercise are ways to treat osteoporosis. Kyphosis is an accentuation of the
normal posture curvature of the spinal column. Pathologic curvatures of the
human spinal column are common. These conditions may be caused by
weak ligaments, by poor posture, by disease or congenital abnormalities of
the spinal column, by injury, or by spasm of the back muscles. One
treatment for kyphosis is physical therapy.