Skeletal System
By: Chelsea Clark
What does it do?
Your Skeletal system is all of the bones in the body and the tissues such as tendons, ligaments and cartilage that connect them. They help hold your body together otherwise you would be a puddle of skin on the floor. They give us structure. They also protect the internal organs in our body.
Key Organs
Ligaments
- a short band of tough, flexible, fibrous connective tissue that connects two bones or cartilages or holds together a joint.
Joints
- a point at which parts of an artificial structure are joined.
Tendon
- a flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching a muscle to a bone.
Cartilage
- firm, whitish, flexible connective tissue found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract, in structures such as the external ear, and in the articulating surfaces of joints. It is more widespread in the infant skeleton, being replaced by bone during growth.
Diseases in the Skeletal System
- Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that causes them to be fragile, resulting in fractures. Symptoms are fractures and falls risk. The bones actually become thinner and less dense. This is either due to the body not forming enough new bone, or too much bone being reabsorbed into the body, or both. The treatment for this would be get a prescribed medicine and exercise.
- Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. A joint is the area where two bones meet. There are over 100 different types of arthritis. The major complaint by individuals who have arthritis is joint pain. Pain is often a constant and may be localized to the joint affected. Treatments include life style changes, physical therapy, and getting more sleep. Prevent flare-ups during the day.
- Tendinitis is an overuse or injury of the tendons results in inflammation and pain. Tendons connect muscle to bone and facilitate movement. Commonly affected areas include the knee, elbow, wrist and Achilles’ tendon. Symptoms include tendon injuries that involve larger-scale acute injuries accompanied by inflammation. Treatment includes rest, ice and modifying activities until the pain and inflammation resolve.
Fun Fact
The skeleton undergoes continual remodeling which is defined as the replacement of old bone with new bone. The bone is completely regenerated every 10 years.
News Article
This news article is about how diving researchers found the oldest most intact human skeleton. They found it 130 feet below sea level. The researchers also found extinct animals around it. The remains were found in Hoyo Negro, a deep pit within the Sac Actun cave system on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. This occurred in May of 2014.
Work Cited
- "Diseases of the Skeletal System."Physiology Info >. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://www.physiologyinfo.org/mm/What-is-Physiology/Skeletal/Diseases-of-the-Skeletal-System.html>.
- "New Health Guide." Skeletal System Diseases. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://www.newhealthguide.org/Skeletal-System-Diseases.html>.
- "Tendon vs. ligament: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/i