Skeletal System Vocabulary

Front

skeletal system

Back

The framework of bones inside your body that gives it shape and support. The skeletal system helps you stand up straight and protects your organs.

Front

bones

Back

The hard, strong parts inside your body that form the skeletal system. We have many bones in our body.

Front

cartilage

Back

A strong but flexible material found in some parts of the body, like the nose and ears. Cartilage is what makes your ears bend without breaking.

Front

ligaments

Back

Tough, fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones. Ligaments help keep your knees from bending the wrong way.

Front

axial skeleton

Back

The bones in the center of your body, including your skull, spine, and ribcage. The axial skeleton protects important organs like the brain and heart.

Front

appendicular skeleton

Back

The bones in your limbs (arms and legs) and the bones that connect them to the axial skeleton (shoulders and hips). The appendicular skeleton helps you move your arms and legs.

Front

vertebrae

Back

The small bones that make up your spine. The vertebrae protect your spinal cord.

Front

long bones

Back

Bones that are longer than they are wide and found mostly in the arms and legs. The femur in your thigh is a long bone that helps you walk and run.

Front

short bones

Back

Bones that are about as wide as they are long, like the ones in your wrist and ankle. The carpal bones in your wrist are short bones that help you move your hand.

Front

irregular bones

Back

Bones that have a shape that doesn't fit into other categories, like the bones in your spine. The vertebrae in your spine are irregular bones that protect your spinal cord.