# Bones & skeleton

The human skeleton is the internal framework of 206 named bones that support the body, protect the organs, anchor the muscles, and store minerals.

## About bones & skeleton

Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918) devotes its opening section, Osteology, to naming and describing every bone of the adult skeleton — from the cranium to the phalanges of the toes. The skeleton is conventionally divided into the axial skeleton (skull, spine, ribs, sternum) and the appendicular skeleton (limbs and their girdles).

## Questions

### What is the kneecap called?

A small, flat, triangular sesamoid bone embedded in the tendon of the quadriceps.

### What is the thigh bone called?

The longest, strongest, and heaviest bone in the human body.

### What is the collarbone called?

A slender, doubly-curved long bone that lies almost horizontally.

### What is the shoulder blade called?

A large, flat, triangular bone.

### What is the breastbone called?

A flat, elongated bone in three parts: manubrium, body, and xiphoid process.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

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