Skeletal System This information will help you find out how the skeletal system supports, protects and maintains our bodies. Contents What is the Skeletal System? How does the Skeletal System help us? Who has more bones a baby or and adult? Are bones alive? What is a bone made of? How do bones break and heal? What is an X-ray? What's up with joints? Does each bone have a name? How do I keep my bones healthy? Are my teeth counted as bones? Skeleton Diagram Bone Match Game BIG BONE QUIZ!!! Check out some BONE FUN FACTS! vertebrae cranium tendon ligament bone marrow cartilage What is an X-ray? An x-ray image is produced when a small amount of radiation passes through the body and strikes a sheet of sensitive film placed on the other side of the body. Bone, which contains calcium, does not let much radiation through and results in white images on the x-ray film. Radiologists are doctors who are specialists in reading and making sense of X-rays, and they help other doctors figure out what's going on inside you. Contents What's up with joints? Your skeleton has over 200 joints. Joints are where bones come together. Ligaments are strong inelastic bands of connective tissue that help hold bones together at joints. Joints allow your body to move in many different ways. Bending, twisting, stretching, running, jumping and skipping are made possible by muscles and joints. In your two wrists and two hands you have about eighty joints. Thanks to these joints, you can tie your shoes, hold a fork, play instruments, video games and many other things. Where the bones come together at joints there is a cushion of cartilage that helps protect the bones. Cartilage helps to prevent the bones from rubbing against each other and wearing down the bone. Between the joints in your spine the vertebrae are protected by cushiony discs made of cartilage. Your nose and ears also are made of cartilage. Try bending your ears and nose but don't get carried away! Contents Welcome Page / Health Index / Main Site Index