Station 1
Functions of the Skeleton:
1. Support- helps you
stand up!
2. Protection- protects
your vital organs.
3. Movement- works with
muscles so you can get
around.
4. Mineral Storagestores calcium and
phosphate.
5. Produces blood cells.
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 2
Types of Bones
For each bone pictured, list whether it is long, flat,
short, or irregular.
C)
A)
rib
B)
D)
Carpal bone
vertebra
Femur
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 3Label head, arm, and leg bones.
cranium
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Identify the type of joint and
describe the movement
Station 4
Fixed
Hinge
Ball and
socket
Pivot
partially fixed
Hinge
Pivot
Gliding
Ball and
socket
Fixed
Hinge
Pivot
Gliding
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Hinge
Station 5
Number of
bones
Adult humans have about 206 bones.
Part of skeleton
Number of bones
Cranium
29 bones
Vertebral Column
26 bones
Rib cage
25 bones (24 ribs +
sternum)
Shoulders, arms,
and hands
64 bones
Pelvis, legs, and feet
62 bones
The area with the highest number of bones are the
hands (27 bones in each hand).
The bones in the hands and feet combined make up
more than half the bones in your body!
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 6
The skeleton can be divided into two main parts:
the appendicular and the axial skeletons.
On your answer sheet, color the
appendicular portion of the skeleton
red and the axial portion blue.
Fill in the tables appropriately.
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 7
Bone
composition and
structure
30% living tissue
(bone cells) 25%
water
40% minerals
Periosteum- Tough outer membrane- helps protect and
insulate bones.
Compact bone- is the hard outer layer made up of bone cells
(osteoblasts and osteoclasts).
Spongy bone- hard inner layer of bone with spaces for
important materials such as bone marrow.
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 8
More bone structure
Haversian canals- tiny canals in the compact bone
where nerves and blood vessels are found.
What is the protective
membrane shown on the
outside of the bone
called?
Bone marrow- soft tissue found
the hollow spaces in the center of
the bone.
-Red bone marrow makes
blood cells (red and white).
-Yellow bone marrow
stores fat (insulation,
energy).
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 9
Joints occur wherever two or more bones meet.
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue that can be found
between some joints and act as a shock absorber.
Synovial fluid is found between moveable joints to
help lubricate them (crrreeeak).
Ligaments attach bones to bones at the joints.
Tendons attach bones to muscle for movement.
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 10
Spine Tingling Numbers!
The spine has 26 bones (vertebrae).
The “breakfast, lunch and
dinner rule”.
• Breakfast at 7
(7 cervical vertebrae)
• Lunch at 12
(12 thoracic vertebrae)
• Dinner at 5
(5 Lumbar vertebrae)
Section
Location
# of vertebrae
Cervical
Neck
7
Thoracic
Chest
12
Lumbar
Lower Back
5
The “tail bone” is actually made up of two fused
bones: the sacrum and the coccyx.
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 10 (continued)
Cartilaginous discs are
found between
vertebrae.
The discs act as
shock absorbers.
As you age, the discs
lose fluid and flatten a
little, causing you to
become shorter!
A slipped disc is a disc
that has ruptured.
The disc bulges slightly
outward and
hits a nerve (very
painful!)
Your spinal cord is protected by your
vertebral column.
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 11
Bone Growth
A baby is born with approximately 300 bones (mostly
cartilage).
Bones gradually harden as a child grows. The calcium
phosphate required for bones to harden comes from milk.
Bone growth stops at about age 16 -18 for females and 18
– 21 for males.
The human growth hormone is responsible for
regulating growth. In dwarfism there is not enough of
the hormone, in gigantism there is too much!
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 12
Common bone diseases
-Osteoporosis
-Arthritis
Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones weak
and more likely to break (often bones in the hip,
spine, and wrist).
Persons with
osteoporosis have
weak, brittle,
deteriorated bones.
You can prevent
osteoporosis by getting
plenty of calcium and
exercise.
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 12
continued
Arthritis affects the joints and nearby tissues.
• Osteoarthritis (OA)- the cushions on the ends of
the bones in the joint get thin or wear off, and the
bones can rub against each other.
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that strikes
joints in the hands and feet. In rheumatoid arthritis,
the body attacks its own healthy tissues, damaging
the lining of joints and causes pain, swelling, and
stiffness.
Rheumatoid Arthritis in the hands
Bones Exhibition Lab
www.biology-roots.com
Station 13 –
Shoulder Model
Carefully examine the shoulder
model to answer the lab
questions.
Station 14 –
Knee Model
Carefully examine
the knee model to
answer the lab
questions.