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Our Backbone or Spine

The backbone or spine is the most important skeletal organ of
the human body. It is made up of 33 small bones. These are
called vertebrae. The vertebrae are all interlinked. They form
the main axis of the body. Spine makes body to stand erect. It
protects the spinal cord, nerves and important blood vessels
that run down from the brain.

The Rib Cage

The rib cage is formed of 12 pair of

ribs. It protects the heart and

lungs. They are curved bones Spine
which are joined to the backbone

and to the breast bone at the front. The last two pairs of

ribs are called floating ribs because they are joined only

to the backbone.

Rib Cage

The Limbs in Our Body

There are two kinds of limbs in the human body –

forelimbs and hind limbs.

Forelimbs or arms are made up of two parts, upper

arm and the lower arm. In the upper arm there is only

one bone. In the lower arm there are two bones. Limb
They join with each other near elbow. Many small

bones make the wrist palm and fingers.

The bones of the arm are joined to the spine by shoulder girdle and collar bone.

Hind limbs or legs have also two parts, upper leg and lower leg. The bone in the upper

leg is called femur. It is the longest bone in the body. The lower leg has two bones.

Upper leg and lower leg are joined together at the knee. At the end of the leg there are

the fat which have a number of small bones.

Joints in Our Body

A joint is a place in the body where two bones are joined together. At joints bones are
held together by tough tissues called ligaments. Joints can be of different kinds.

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