Anatomy Basics Workbook
Draw the anatomical starting position
Define each of the following key terms
1. Superior: ___________________________________________________________________________
2. Inferior:
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Anterior (ventral): _____________________________________________________________________
4. Posterior (dorsal): _____________________________________________________________________
5. Medial:
___________________________________________________________________________
6. Lateral:
___________________________________________________________________________
7. Proximal: ___________________________________________________________________________
8. Distal:
___________________________________________________________________________
9. Internal: ____________________________________________________________________________
10. External: ___________________________________________________________________________
The skeletal system
Annotate the functions of the skeleton on the diagram below
List the different parts of the skeletal system
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Label the skeleton in the diagram below – also indicate the axial skeleton and appendicular skeleton using two
different colours.
Label the vertebral column in the diagram below
skull
State the functions of the vertebral column
Describe the shape of the vertebral column.
Explain how the shape of the vertebral column aids its function.
Label the diagram of a vertebra below
Annotate the diagram of an intervertebral disc below
Label the diagram of the thoracic cage below
Complete the table below to describe the four different types of bone
Type of
bone
Description
Have a long cylindrical shaft
Enlarged at both ends
Length greater than width
Small and cube shaped
Usually articulate with more than one other bone
Curved surfaces
Vary from thick to very thin
Provide protection
Broad surface provides large area for muscle
attachment
Have specialised shapes for their function
Example
The Anatomy of Long Bone Coloring
Bone Structure Lab
Aim:
To investigate the structure of bones.
Background:
Mature bone is composed of proteins and minerals. Approximately 60% the weight of the bone is mineral,
mainly calcium and phosphate. It is these mineral deposits that make bones hard The rest is water and matrix,
which is formed before the mineral is deposited, and can be considered the scaffolding for the bone. About
90% of the matrix proteins are collagen, which is the most abundant protein in the body. Collagen is fibres also
provide high tensile strength, i.e. it resists being stretched or torn apart due to its elastic nature.
Materials:
 2 Chicken Leg Bones (drumsticks)
 Vinegar
 Bleach
 Gloves
 Lab coat
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2 Plastic cups
Scalpel
Ruler
Mass balance
Paper Towels
Method:
1. Select two chicken bones. Dry off any moisture and begin carefully to remove any “meat” and
“gristle” from the bones. Once the bone is clean, weigh and measure the length of each
specimen.
2. Record data on the chart below.
3. Place one bone in a cup that has household vinegar. Make sure the bone is covered, if not add
a little more vinegar. Place the second bone in a cup filled with bleach. Make sure the bone is
covered, if not add a little more bleach. (Use caution with bleach as it can damage your
clothing!)
4. Wait 24 hours, remove bones from containers, weigh and measure specimen then record data
on table. Note any change is appearance, color, texture, moisture; note the appearance of the
vinegar, etc.
5. Repeat step four everyday for days 2-5.
6. On day 5, after recording your observations, try to break each of the bones by tapping them on
the edge of your desk.
7. Dispose of materials as directed by your teacher.
Data:
Day
1
2
3
4
5
Weight (g)
Length (cm)
Observations
Discussion (please explain your answers fully!)
Describe the difference between the two bones in this experiment.
Which mineral did the vinegar deplete?
Was the effect of the bleach on the bone?
Bone Strength Lab
Aim:
To understand how the structure of bones allows them to bear heavy loads
Background
The way bones are constructed give them strength. The main load-bearing bones of the body
are not solid as one might expect but hollow.
The long bones of the body like the femur (thigh bone) are hollow, and for most of the length of
the bone, the cross sectional shape is a circle. This hollow cylindrical structure gives the bone
added strength as well as reduction in mass.
This activity compares the relative strength of solid bones with hollow bones. Instead of using
real animal bones, artificial bones are constructed with A4 paper. The load-bearing capabilities
of these bones are then compared.
Before completing the hollow versus solid test, students will complete a preliminary exercise
dealing with basic large bone anatomy.
Materials
 Sheets of A4 paper (RECYCLED!)
 Sticky tape
 Cardboard box lid (A4 photocopy paper box lid is ideal)
 Supply of booklets or textbooks to act as weights
Method
1. Roll up a sheet of A4 paper (short side to short side) into a hollow cylinder of 2.5cm diameter.
Tape the roll top and bottom to hold it in place. Make 3 more.
2. Tightly fold up a sheet of A4 paper to make a solid cylinder (5 folds, short side to short side).
Tape it top and bottom to hold it in place. Make 3 more.
3. Tape each of the cylinders into a corner of the upturned cardboard box lid.
4. Stand the lid on the four hollow cylinders on a table so that they will act as legs to support the
lid.
5. Add the textbooks onto the top of the lid until the legs buckle and note the number/mass
needed to buckle the legs.
6. Repeat this procedure with the solid legs.
7. What do you conclude? Can you think of a possible explanation for the results you obtained?
Conclusion
CASE STUDY - Bone as a dynamic tissue
Bone is a dynamic tissue that means it is constantly changing in response to activity levels or
disuse. Bone cells are continually broken down and removed through a process called resorption
and these cells are then replaced with new cells during bone deposition. If the amount of bone
that is deposited equals the amount that is resorbed, then the bone mass remains constant. An
increase in bone mass results in increased strength while decreased bone mass is associated with
decreases in strength.
Bone can alter its structure or properties if there is a change to the mechanical stress placed on it.
The main types of mechanical stress are the skeletal muscles pulling on the bones and the effects
of gravity. According to Wolff’s Law, bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the load it is
placed under. This means that if a bone is exposed to a greater load, for example through
training, there will be increased mineral salt deposits and greater production of collagen fibres to
increase bone strength and the ability to resist this load. Athletes who repeatedly apply high
stresses to the bones have noticeably higher bone mineral density and stronger bones compared
to non-athletes.
In contrast, those who are sick and confined to bed, those who break a leg and are n crutches, or
astronauts who are on space missions all experience restricted weight bearing activity. This
results in too much bone resorption and not enough bone deposition and result in losses of up to
1% of bone mass per week as well as decreases in bone strength.
Questions
1. What precautions would an astronaut have to take immediately after returning to earth?
2. Identify a sport that would increase bone density in the lower limbs and explain why it would do so
3. Identify a sport that would increase bone density in the upper limbs and explain why it would do so
4. Can you think of any sports where bone mass or bone mineral density might be higher in one limb
compared to the same limb on the opposite side of the bod? Why would this happen?
ToK in SEHS (extract taken from the following BBC News article)
Ballet and eating disorders: 'Unspoken competitiveness' adds pressure to be thin
28 June 2013
By Sandish Shoker
BBC News, Nottingham
Rachel Parker, 43, speaks at conferences for Dance UK about dancers and eating disorders.
The ex-Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer was never medically diagnosed as having anorexia but was
forced to change her diet when she was diagnosed with osteoporosis in her 20s.
"I never had any issues with my body or image when I was younger. I was always quite a small
build so there was never a lot of pressure to be thin," she said.
"My problems started after a tour to Taiwan. I got very ill and lost a lot of weight so when I came
back to work I was expecting concern about my appearance but instead I got praise on how
amazing I looked. I felt I got more attention and I started getting more principal roles.
"I started restricting my diet to keep that body shape and I became obsessed with food. I was just
eating enough to get through my training and performances, which looking back was nowhere
near enough."
Rachel's condition was recognised by a doctor when she was tested for bone density and was told
she had the spine of a 70-year-old caused by years of a poor diet.
"Ballet is always about aesthetic lines and unfortunately you associate this kind of thinness with
beauty in the ballet world," she added.
"There are certain types of performers and personalities that fall victim to eating disorders - the
perfectionists and highly self-critical people.
"As much as you tell young dancers the dangers and risks of eating disorders many think in the
moment and are not looking ahead. They have no idea what they are doing to their body and their
life. They don't realise a couple of missed meals is dangerous, and dancers are restricting their
diets to stay a certain way, it's just not normal."