Chapter 7, Problem 1CYU

What are the three main parts of the axial skeleton?

Summary Introduction

To review:

The three main parts of the axial skeleton.

Introduction:

The central axis of the body is known as axial skeleton, which includes bones of the head and trunk of a vertebrate. It contains 80 bones and consists of skull, hyoid bone, vertebral column, auditory ausicles, ribs and sternum (chest cavity).

Explanation of Solution

The axial skeleton is controlled from 80 bones segregated into three major regions:

The skull: It is the most complex bony structure formed by cranial and facial bones, 22 in all. The cranial bones, or cranium enclose and protects brain and furnish attachment sites for head and neck muscles.

Vertebral column: Vertebral column is a series of 33 bones called vertebrae separated by invertebral discs.

Thoracic cage: Elements of the thoracic cage include the thoracic vertebrae posteriorly, the ribs laterally, and the sternum and costal cartilages anteriorly. Bony thorax forms a protective cage around the important organs of the thoracic cavity (lungs, heart, and great blood vessels).

This part of the skeleton are:

(1) it forms the longitudinal axis of the body,

(2) supports the head, neck, and trunk,

(3) protects the brain, spinal cord, and the organs in the thorax.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is concluded that three main parts of the axial skeleton are: skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage.