The Skeletal System

    ·         Your skeletal system is made up of your teeth, bones, and multiple connective tissues (tendons, ligaments,cartilage, and skeletal muscles).  Your body contains 206 bones, 32 teeth, and in a single hand there are 37 skeletal muscles.  Your spine in made up of 24 vertebrae and is broken into five parts; the Cervical Vertebrae, the Thoracic Vertebrae, the Lumbar Vertebrae, the Sacral, and the Coccygeal Vertebrae. Between each vertebrae there is cartilage, which is cushioning the bone during movement. Joints such as the spine are held in place by bands of tissue called ligaments. 

Bones serve the purpose of:

o    Making the body's red blood cells

o    Allowing you to move

o    Protecting your inner organs, like your spinal cord

o    Holding your body's minerals needed for your nerves and muscles to work properly

o    Providing structure for your body 

              In order to keep your Skeletal System in shape you should:

o    Not overuse your muscles and bones

o    Wear protective gear like helmets and pads when doing sports

o    Strengthen bones through exercising and lifting weights

o    Strengthen bones by drinking milk and eating other dairy products that contain calcium

o    Limit the amount of soda you drink

  To learn about the symptoms of Scoliosis, a Skeletal System disease click the link labeled "Symptoms" seen above or click
