What type of bones are ribs

Irregular bones such as those of the face have no characteristic shape. Sesamoid bones, such as the patellae, are small and round, and are located in tendons. What are the structural and functional differences between a tarsal and a metatarsal? Structurally, a tarsal is a short bone, meaning its length, width, and thickness are about equal, while a metatarsal is a long bone whose length is greater than its width.

Functionally, the tarsal provides limited motion, while the metatarsal acts as a lever. What are the structural and functional differences between the femur and the patella? Structurally, the femur is a long bone, meaning its length is greater than its width, while the patella, a sesamoid bone, is small and round. Functionally, the femur acts as a lever, while the patella protects the patellar tendon from compressive forces.

Skip to content Bone Tissue and the Skeletal System. Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Classify bones according to their shapes Describe the function of each category of bones. Short Bones A short bone is one that is cube-like in shape, being approximately equal in length, width, and thickness. Irregular Bones An irregular bone is one that does not have any easily characterized shape and therefore does not fit any other classification.

Sesamoid Bones A sesamoid bone is a small, round bone that, as the name suggests, is shaped like a sesame seed. Bone Classifications Bone classification Features Function s Examples Long Cylinder-like shape, longer than it is wide Leverage Femur, tibia, fibula, metatarsals, humerus, ulna, radius, metacarpals, phalanges Short Cube-like shape, approximately equal in length, width, and thickness Provide stability, support, while allowing for some motion Carpals, tarsals Flat Thin and curved Points of attachment for muscles; protectors of internal organs Sternum, ribs, scapulae, cranial bones Irregular Complex shape Protect internal organs Vertebrae, facial bones Sesamoid Small and round; embedded in tendons Protect tendons from compressive forces Patellae.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. The skeleton is the body's frame. It provides the foundation to which other structures cling and helps to create our shape. All of the bones of the skeleton can be categorized into four types: long, short, flat, and irregular. Each type of bone serves a particular purpose and some types have more than one function. The skeleton of the arms and legs are made up of mostly long bones. Long bones are so-called because they are longer than they are wide.

Long bones in the arm include the humerus , radius , ulna , metacarpals, and phalanges. Long bones of the leg include the femur , tibia , fibula , metatarsals, and phalanges.

The clavicles collar bones are also long bones. Long bones provide the leverage we need for moving our bodies and for manipulating our environment. All long bones have two main parts: diaphysis and epiphysis. The diaphysis is the shaft of the long bone, the main body. The diaphysis is a tube with a hollow center called the medullary cavity or marrow cavity. The wall of the diaphysis is made up of compact bone, which is dense and very hard.

For most of the life of a long bone, the center of the diaphysis is filled with yellow bone marrow. Yellow bone marrow is basically fat, also known as adipose tissue. Each end of a long bone is called an epiphysis. Each epiphysis is shaped to fit its connecting bone at a junction that is called a joint and the shape of the epiphysis is based on the job of the joint. The proximal closer to the body epiphysis of the humerus and the proximal epiphysis of the femur are shaped in a rounded manner, called the head, and look a bit like half of a ball.

This shape allows those two long bones to rotate in multiple directions. The head of the femur fits into a socket in the pelvis. The head of the humerus fits into a socket in the shoulder. That type of joint is called a ball-and-socket joint. Joints that only allow movement along one axis are called hinge joints.

The wall of the epiphysis is made of compact bone like the diaphysis and the center contains spongy bone. Spongy bone is made of many small cavities also called medullary cavities filled with red bone marrow. Red bone marrow manufactures red blood cells and is very well connected to the circulatory system. There is so much blood flow through the spongy bone, that needles inserted into the spongy bone of the humerus, of the femur, or of the sternum not a long bone as you'll see below can be used to administer fluid or medications just like an intravenous line.

There is a line that can be seen on images of the epiphysis and is called the epiphyseal plate. That is where new bone is added to increase the length of the long bone during development called ossification. It is commonly known as the growth plate. Fractures breaks and cracks in the bone that include the epiphyseal plate can interrupt proper bone development in kids.

Short bones are called that because they about as wide as they are long. There is no diaphysis on a short bone. It is made up of spongy bone surrounded by compact bone just like the epiphysis. Short bones also contain red bone marrow. There are 32 short bones in the human skeleton. Typically, short bones facilitate movement and strength in the complex joints of the wrist and ankles by sliding and shifting against each other.

Located in the wrist and ankle joints, short bones provide stability and some movement. The carpals in the wrist scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, hamate, pisiform, capitate, trapezoid, and trapezium and the tarsals in the ankles calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, lateral cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform, and medial cuneiform are examples of short bones. Irregular bones vary in shape and structure and therefore do not fit into any other category flat, short, long, or sesamoid. They often have a fairly complex shape, which helps protect internal organs.

For example, the vertebrae, irregular bones of the vertebral column, protect the spinal cord. The irregular bones of the pelvis pubis, ilium, and ischium protect organs in the pelvic cavity. Sesamoid bones are bones embedded in tendons. These small, round bones are commonly found in the tendons of the hands, knees, and feet. Sesamoid bones function to protect tendons from stress and wear. The patella, commonly referred to as the kneecap, is an example of a sesamoid bone.

See more from our free eBook library. A description of types of bones from the edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body. Human Anatomy Atlas offers thousands of models to help understand and communicate how the human body looks and works. X-rays of the hand , hip , knee , and ankle. Stony Brook University School of Medicine.