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The branches of science that will help you understand the body parts and
functions are anatomy and physiology. Anatomy deals with the study of the
human body (the component parts, structure and position) and physiology the
study of how the body functions.

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The body comprises of a number of systems including the: Cardiovascular

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system, Respiratory system and the Skeletal system.

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TheSkeletalSystem
The skeletal system comprises of 206 bones and provides four basic functions:

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Ossification
is
the
process by which bone is
formed.
Some
bones
(e.g. the flat bones of the
skull) are formed in one
stage
from
the
connective tissue. This
process is known as
intramembranous
or
direct ossification.
Other bones (e.g. short
bones) are formed from
the cartilaginous model
of
the
future
bone
developed in the embryo,

being
dissolved
and
replaced by bone cells.
This process is known as
endochondral or indirect
ossification - most bones
are formed this way.

CrossSectionofaLongBone

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Bones and cartilage that

make up the skeleton are
the only rigid materials in
the body. The 206 bones
of the skeleton provide a
framework and points of
attachment for many of
the soft tissues of the
body. The five main
classifications of bones
are : Long (e.g. femur),
Short (e.g. tarsal bones
of the foot), Flat (e.g.
frontal bone of the skull),
Irregular
(e.g.
vertebrae)
and
Sesamoid (e.g. knee
cap)

Protection
These structures protect some of the vital tissues and functional organs of the
body. Typical examples are:
Skull - protects the brain
Vertebrae - protects the spinal cord
Thoracic cage - protects the heart and lungs

Movement
Bones act as levers during movement and provide solid structures to which
muscles are attached. The joints allow movement between bones and these
movements are directly related to the type of joint and range of motion. Joints
fall into one of three categories: Fixedfibrous or Synarthroses (e.g. bones of
the skull), Slightlymoveable or Amphiarthroses (e.g. symphysis pubis) and
Freelymovable or Diarthroses.
Freely Movable joints comprises of four main groups: Ball and Socket (e.g.
hip), Hinge (e.g. elbow), Pivot (e.g. radius and ulna) and Gliding (e.g.
carpal joint of the wrist)

Componentpartsofasynovialjoint
A fibrous capsule surrounds the joint and is strengthened by ligaments. The
stability of these joints is dictated by the shape of articulating surfaces, their
surrounding ligaments and muscles. For example, the knee is given great
strength from 2 cruciate and 2 collateral ligaments. Whilst one of the hardest
joints to dislocate is the hip. It is formed with the head of femur fitting neatly
into the socket or acetabulum in the pelvis.

Articular or hyaline cartilage covers and protects the ends of bones which
meet to form a joint and therefore allows freedom of movement. It is a very
hard, smooth material which does not repair itself when damaged.
Tendons connect muscle tissue to bone and although more elastic than
ligaments, have a far greater tensile strength than muscle.
Synovial membrane lines the joint cavity and covers the tendons and
ligaments which pass through it. The membrane produces synovial fluid which
lubricates the joints

ShoulderJoint

Ligaments are tough fibrous bands of tissue which connect bone to bone and
help stabilise a joint, the strongest ligament in the body being situated at the
front of the hip capsule, preventing excessive backward movement of the
legs. Ligaments, although stronger than muscle tissue, have fewer nerve
endings and less blood supply , and therefore take longer to repair when
damaged. Whilst these strong fibrous bands offer great stability to a joint in
preventing excessive movement, if they are stretched or torn through injury,
they do not necessarily return to their former length and therefore may
remain stretched, therefore offering reduced stability to that particular joint.
A bursa is a small sac formed in connective tissue lined by a synovial
membrane and containing a small amount of synovial fluid. It is situated
between moving parts, often between tendon and bone, to prevent rubbing.

Storage
In some bones, there is red marrow which produces red blood cells, some
white cells and platelets. Minerals, especially calcium and phosphorous are
also stored in bones and can be distributed to other parts of the body.

Effectofexerciseontheskeletalsystem
The condition of bone may be improved by exercise as it responds to
mechanical stresses. These mechanical stresses usually take the form of
skeletal muscle pulling at their points of attachment being their origins and
insertions. Where these mechanical stresses are applied, most it has been
shown that more mineral salts are deposited and more collagenous fibres are
produced. Therefore, both the density and size of bone in these areas may be
increased and these changes in bone structure are stimulated by increased
loads being placed on the skeleton. This has been borne out by greater bone
mass being observed in weight lifters than in other lighter endurance athletes
such as joggers. Other examples include racquet players who have been
shown to have greater bone density in their playing arms. It has even been
shown that if a leg is immobilised by being placed in plaster, due to a fracture,
that even after a few weeks the bone becomes decalcified from lack of
mechanical stress.
Whilst it may therefore be considered beneficial to utilise exercise to maintain
healthy bones, great care must be taken with children whose bones and
muscles are still developing. They should not be subjected to forms of sport
involving high degrees of mechanical stress, partly because of the weaknesses
that still exist within the bones, and also because of adverse effects on the
development of these bones before maturity.
There are two main effects on bones as we grow older. Bones begin to lose
calcium and this is one of the factors contributing to the condition called
osteoporosis. Secondly, with age less protein is produced which alters the
make-up of bone and sometimes creates brittle bones.

RelatedReferences
The following references provide additional information on this topic:
HALL, J. E. (2010) Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology:
Enhanced E-book. Elsevier Health Sciences
Widmaier, E. P. et al. (2011) Vander's human physiology: the
mechanisms of body function. McGraw-Hill Higher Education
PLOWMAN, S. A. and SMITH, D. L. (2013) Exercise physiology for health
fitness and performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

PageReference
If you quote information from this page in your work then the reference for
this page is:
MACKENZIE, B. (2001) Physiology - Skeletal System [WWW] Available
from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/physiol.htm [Accessed 20/10/2016]

RelatedPages
The following Sports Coach pages provide additional information on this topic:

Articles on Anatomy & Physiology

Books on Physiology
Body Type
Bones in the human body
Cardiovascular System
Digestive System
Endocrine System
Levers
Movement Analysis
Muscle Types
Muscular System
Neurological System
Respiratory System
Range of Movement
Skeletal System

AdditionalSourcesofInformation
For further information on this topic see the following:
BEASHEL, P. and TAYLOR, J. (1996) Advanced Studies in Physical
Education and Sport. UK: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
BEASHEL, P. and TAYLOR, J. (1997) The World of Sport Examined. UK:
Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
BIZLEY, K. (1994) Examining Physical Education. Oxford; Heinemann
Educational Publishers
DAVIS, B. et al. (2000) Physical Education and the Study of Sport. UK:
Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
GALLIGAN, F. et al. (2000) Advanced PE for Edexcel. Oxford;
Heinemann Educational Publishers
McARDLE, W. et al. (2000) Essentials of Exercise Physiology. 2nd ed.
Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
TORTORA, G and ANAGNOSTAKOS, N. (1990) Principles of Anatomy and
Physiology. 6th ed. USA; Harper Collins Publishers
STONE, R. and STONE, J. (1997) Atlas of Skeletal Muscles. 2nd Ed.
USA; The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.

 BLAKEY, P. (1992) The Muscle Book. UK; Bibiotek Books Ltd.

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