How many bones in human body? A Hands-on approach to teaching anatomy students bones.

September 21, 2022

How Many Bones in Human Body

Students often ask how many bones in human body. The human skeleton consists of 206 bones that support our bodies and provide protection for internal organs. Bones are made of calcium phosphate and collagen, which helps give them strength and flexibility.

Each bone has its own function, and some bones are more important than others. The skull protects the brain and spinal cord, while the ribs protect the lungs. Other bones help hold the body together, such as the sternum (breastbone) and pelvis.

Bones vary in size and shape, and each one has a different purpose. The skull protects the delicate brain and spinal cord; the ribs protect the lungs; the sternum (breasts) protects the heart; the pelvis supports the spine.

Bones are made up of two main parts: hard tissue and soft tissue. Hard tissue includes bone itself, cartilage, and teeth. Soft tissue includes muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, nerves, fat, and connective tissues.

Bones of Skeletal System

The skeletal system is one of my favorite systems to teach because I weirdly like bones. They are so fascinating to me and so my passion for this unit is shown through all the activities I make for my students. My favorite activity for this unit is the Bones of Skeletal System – Disarticulated Skeleton Lab. Many hours were spent creating this resource that I use over and over again with my classes. It is super useful to students when learning about the skeletal system major bones.

I let my students group themselves since I have a small class of seniors, but if you have larger classes and/or unruly students, you may want to group them yourself. Each group starts at a station. There are 9 stations each one covering a different set of bones from the body. Students can rotate in any order since each bone is independent of the others. The stations do not build upon each other so the station they start at will not matter. After all 9 stations have been rotated through, students will have learned about the importance, functions, and major structures of each bone.

Skeletal System Major Bones Stations

The stations include various bone marking and asking students to label and describe their functions. Students should use their anatomy textbook for reference, however, station visuals provided could be used if a textbook is not available. This is a particularly interesting lab because students can actually touch the bones and examine them in person versus just seeing them in pictures.

I like to have my students do this lab a few days after we have covered all the bones. That way they have a general idea of what the bones are prior to performing these stations. It is also a great way to wrap up this unit by reviewing the major bones and their functions.

In conclusion, having my students do these lab stations really solidify their understanding of not only the bones themselves but the purpose for the way they are structured. Seeing where muscles and tendons attach really drives home the importance of our skeletal system. I hope you find this activity useful and try it with your students.

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