Bones and Joint Classification

Bones and Joints 🦴

An athlete's body is built on the **skeleton**: over 200 bones that protect, support and, at the **joints**, allow movement. In this module you will name the main bones, sort them by shape, and learn the four kinds of joint that make sport possible.

Functions of the skeleton 🛡️

The skeleton does five main jobs: - **Protects vital organs** (the cranium shields the brain, the ribs the heart and lungs). - Gives **muscle attachment** so the body can move. - Provides **joints for movement**. - **Produces blood cells and platelets** in the bone marrow. - **Stores minerals**, especially calcium and phosphorus.

What the skeleton does

Select ALL THREE genuine functions of the skeleton.

• Protecting vital organs
• Allowing movement at joints
• Producing blood cells
• Digesting food
• Producing insulin
• Pumping blood around the body

Naming the bones 🏷️

You need to name the main bones, including the **cranium** (skull), **clavicle** (collar bone), **scapula** (shoulder blade), **ribs** and **sternum** in the chest. In the arms: **humerus**, **radius** and **ulna**. In the legs: **femur** (thigh), **patella** (kneecap), **tibia** (shin) and **fibula**. The **pelvis** sits at the hips.

Find the femur

An interactive activity.

Which bone is the shin?

The femur is in the thigh. Which bone is in the shin (the lower leg)?

• Tibia
• Humerus
• Cranium
• Scapula

Four shapes of bone 📏

Bones are classified by their shape, which suits their job: - **Long** bones (femur, humerus): act as levers for movement. - **Short** bones (carpals in the wrist): strong for weight bearing. - **Flat** bones (cranium, ribs, scapula): protect organs and give muscle attachment. - **Irregular** bones (vertebrae): protection and muscle attachment.

Match each bone type to an example

Classify a bone

The cranium protects the brain and has a broad, plate-like shape. What type of bone is it?

• A flat bone
• A long bone
• A short bone
• An irregular bone

The vertebral column 🧎

The spine, or **vertebral column**, is made of irregular bones (vertebrae) in five regions, from top to bottom: - **Cervical** (neck) - **Thoracic** (chest) - **Lumbar** (lower back) - **Sacrum** - **Coccyx** (the tailbone)

Down the spine

An interactive activity.

Four kinds of joint 🔀

Where bones meet you get a **joint**. There are four types you must know: - **Pivot** (the neck, atlas and axis): allows rotation. - **Hinge** (elbow, knee, ankle): bends and straightens in ONE plane (flexion and extension). - **Ball and socket** (hip, shoulder): moves in ALL directions. - **Condyloid** (wrist): allows movement back and forth and side to side.

Match each joint type to an example

Move any way

Which type of joint allows movement in ALL directions, as at the hip and shoulder?

• Ball and socket
• Hinge
• Pivot
• Condyloid

True about joints

Select ALL THREE statements about joints that are TRUE.

• The elbow is a hinge joint
• A hinge joint allows flexion and extension
• The shoulder is a ball and socket joint
• The knee is a pivot joint
• A hinge joint moves in all directions
• The hip is a hinge joint

Skeleton summary

The skeleton protects organs, allows movement and makes blood cells. Bones are classified by shape: the femur is a _____ bone, while the cranium is a _____ bone. Joints are classified too: the elbow is a _____ joint that moves in one plane, while the hip is a _____ joint that moves in all directions.