Appendicular skeleton
| Appendicular skeleton | |
|---|---|
 Human appendicular skeleton | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | skeleton appendiculare |
| TA98 | A02.0.00.010 |
| TA2 | 359 |
| FMA | 71222 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The appendicular skeleton is the portion of the
caecillians), the appendicular skeleton and the associated skeletal muscles are the predominant locomotive
structures.
There are 126
.Etymology
The
PIE root *(s)pen- meaning"to draw, stretch, spin").[3]
The organization of the appendicular system
Of the 206 bones in the human skeleton, the appendicular skeleton comprises 126. Functionally, it is involved in locomotion (lower limbs) of the axial skeleton and manipulation of objects in the environment (upper limbs).
The appendicular skeleton forms during development from cartilage, by the process of endochondral ossification.
The appendicular skeleton is divided into six major regions:
- Shoulder girdle (4 bones) - Left and right clavicle (2) and scapula (2).
- Arms and forearms (6 bones) - Left and right humerus (2) (arm), ulna (2) and radius (2) (forearm).
- Hands (54 bones) - Left and right distal phalanges(10).
- Pelvis(2 bones) - left hip bone and right hip bone (2).
- Thighs and legs (8 bones) - Left and right femur (2) (thigh), patella (2) (knee), tibia (2) and fibula (2) (leg).
- Feet and ankles (52 bones) - Left and right distal phalanges(10).
Through
. Some occurrences are rarer than others.The appendicular skeleton of 126 bones and the axial skeleton of 80 bones together form the complete skeleton of 206 bones in the human body. Unlike the axial skeleton, the appendicular skeleton is unfused. This allows for a much greater range of motion.
See also
- Legs
References
- ^ Skeleton Encyclopædia Britannica. Updated 24 August 2014.
- ^ "Appendicular (adj.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Appendix (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
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