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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. skeletal system - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) skeleton - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
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skeleton, Bony framework of the body. It includes the skull, vertebral column, collarbone, shoulder blades, rib cage, pelvic girdle and the bones of the hands, arms, feet, and legs. The skeleton supports the body and protects its internal organs. It is held together by ligaments and moved at the joints by the muscles, which are attached to it ...
The brain is enclosed within a skull, forming the head. Vertebrates are also characterized by an internal skeleton that supports the body.
- Support. The skeleton provides the framework which supports the body and maintains its shape. The pelvis, associated ligaments and muscles provide a floor for the pelvic structures.
- Movement. The joints between bones allow movement, some allowing a wider range of movement than others, e.g. the ball and socket joint allows a greater range of movement than the pivot joint at the neck.
- Protection. The skeleton helps to protect our many vital internal organs from being damaged. The skull protects the brain. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord.
- Blood cell production. The skeleton is the site of haematopoiesis, the development of blood cells that takes place in the bone marrow. In children, haematopoiesis occurs primarily in the marrow of the long bones such as the femur and tibia.
childhood disease and disorder: Musculoskeletal disorders. prenatal development: Skeletal system. human aging: Skeletal system. Human skeleton, the internal skeleton that serves as a framework for the body. This framework consists of many individual bones and cartilages.
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Oct 16, 2023 · A skeleton is the hard structure that supports the body of a living thing. Skeletons can be inside the body or outside the body. In mammals, which include humans, the skeleton is made of bones. All the bones, when they are joined together, make the "skeletal system" of a body.
