Surprising Facts about Skeleton Bones

By: Jason Petrina



While everyone possesses skeleton bones, there are relatively few of us who understand much about the bones that comprise the structure of our bodies.

Surprisingly, not everyone has the same amount of bones. For example, babies have more bones than adults. This is because babies are born with around 270 bones. As the child grows and develops, a large number of small bones will fuse together to form larger bones; resulting in an average number of 206 adult bones. Two areas in the human body where baby bones eventually fuse together include the base of the spine and the skull. At birth, babies are born six small bones at the base of the spine that are separated. They eventually fuse together.

Beyond the differences between bones of adults and babies, it is also possible for one individual to have slightly more bones than another individual. The average number of bones within the human body is 206, but it is quite possible for one person to have 207 bones while another person might only have 205 bones.

While a popular children’s song indicates that all bones are connected directly, this is actually not true. Most bones are connected, but there are a few bones within the human body that do not touch in other bones. Instead they are supported by muscles. One such bone is the hyoid bone in the neck.

Another popular theory regarding skeleton bones is that men have one less bone than women, owing to the Bible story that Eve was created from one of Adam’s ribs. Both men and women actually possess 12 pairs of ribs. It is interesting to note; however, that should a rib need to be removed, it can regenerate itself within 3 months.

Of course, it’s quite obvious that not all bones within the human body are the same size and length; however, the differences between certain bones can be dramatic. The longest bone in the human body, for example, is the thigh bone; also known as the femur. On average, this bone is equivalent to about ¼ of an individual’s height. So, if a man is six foot tall, his femur will measure an average of 18 inches. Conversely, the stirrup bone in the ear measures only about 1/10 of an inch in most people.

In some cases, there is actually very little difference between human skeleton bones and animal skeleton bones. One of the most amazing examples of this is the fact that giraffes, well known for their long necks, have exactly the same number of neck bones as humans. The difference in lengths is owed to the fact that the bones in the neck of a giraffe are simply much longer than the bones in the neck of a human. While this is a good example of the similarities between at least one type of animal and humans, there are many differences between about 97% of the animals on the surface of the earth and humans. Only about 3% of all animals possess a backbone or spine.

Bones are obviously an important part of the human anatomy; however, it is surprising to learn that human bones are never more than 20 years old, regardless of the biological age of the individual. This is because the body continually undergoes a process in which collagen and minerals in bones are broken down in order that new materials can be replaced to form newer, healthier bones. Which only goes to prove that it’s important for adults as well as kids to pay attention to their calcium needs in order to grow strong bones.



Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com