The human skeleton serves six major functions
a. Support
‣ The skeleton provides support to the body and keeps your internal organs in their proper place.
‣ The vertebral column allows to stand erect, while cavities hollow spaces in the skeleton are designed to hold your organs.
b. Movement
‣ The skeletal bones are held together by ligaments.
‣ Tendons attach muscles to the bones of skeleton.
‣ The muscular and skeletal systems work together to carry out bodily movement, and together they are called the musculoskeletal system.
c. Protection
‣ The skeleton protects vital organs from damage, encasing them within hard bones.
‣ The cranium bone skull houses the brain, while the vertebral, or spinal, column protects the delicate spinal cord, which controls all bodily functions through communication with brain.
d. Production of blood cells
‣ The spongy tissue inside long bones, such as the femur or thigh bone, has two types of marrow responsible for blood cell production.
‣ On average, 2.6 million red blood cells are produced each second by the bone marrow.
‣ Red bone marrow gives rise to blood cells while yellow bone marrow stores fat, which turns into red bone marrow in case of severe red blood cell depletion or anemia.
e. Storage of ions and endocrine regulation
‣ Skeletal bones also function as a storage bank for minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus.
‣ These minerals are necessary for vital body functions, such as nerve transmission and metabolism.
