Close Menu
Bodybuilding Wizard

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Spirulina for Muscle Building: A Comprehensive Guide for Vegans and Vegetarians
    • Arthritis: Are Body Builders in The Risk Zone as They Age?
    • Edamame: The Protein Powerhouse for Muscle Building
    • Is Tempeh Good For Building Muscles?
    • Building Muscles with Seitan: A Complete Guide for Vegans & Vegetarians Seeking High-Quality Proteins
    • Are Chickpeas Good For Building Muscles?
    • Is Tofu Good For Building Muscles?
    • Understanding Physiological and Metabolic Changes During Exercise: A Comprehensive Guide
    RSS Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube Pinterest Instagram
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Training
      • Weight training basics
      • Advanced bodybuilding
      • Workout programs
      • Home weight training programs
      • Cardio workout
      • Bodybuilding glossary
      • Exercise equipment
      • Weight training accessories
      • Weight lifting injuries
      • Fitness calculators & tests
    • Exercises
      • Chest exercises
        • Middle chest exercises
        • Upper chest exercises
        • Lower chest exercises
      • Back exercises
        • Middle back (latissimus dorsi)
        • Upper back (trapezius)
        • Lower back (erector spinae)
      • Bicep exercises
      • Tricep exercises
      • Shoulder exercises
        • Front deltoid
        • Side deltoid
        • Rear deltoid
        • Rotator Cuff
      • Neck strengthening exercises
      • Quadricep exercises
      • Hamstring exercises
      • Calf exercises
      • Tibialis anterior exercises
      • Abdominal exercises
        • Upper abdominal exercises
        • Lower abdominal exercise
        • Oblique exercises
      • Core exercises
      • Forearm exercises
      • Glute & Hip exercises
      • Kettlebell exercises
      • Foam rolling & Stretching
      • Explosive (dynamic) lifts
    • Motivation
      • Videos
        • Funny gym reels
        • Motivational videos
        • Funny workout videos
      • Pictures
      • Quotes
      • Funny Fitness
      • Transformations
    • Diet
    • Supplements
    • Anatomy
    • FAQ
    • Health
    Login
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    You are at:Home»Anatomy»Types of Bones: Basics of Human Skeleton Anatomy
    major types of bones human skeleton

    Types of Bones: Basics of Human Skeleton Anatomy

    0
    By krunoslav on January 4, 2019 Anatomy
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Tumblr WhatsApp Telegram

    Types of bones in the human skeleton

    You may not have known that your bones have so many jobs. But, you probably did know that bones come in different shapes and sizes. There are five major types of bones in the skeletal system. Their shape, size, and proportion of bone tissue determine their classification. The categories include long bones, short bones, flat bones, irregular bones, and sesamoid bones. After reading this article you’ll be able to classify all major bones of the human skeleton into one of these five categories.

    classification of bones

    Five major types of bones of the human skeleton

    Just as there are various purposes for bones, there are also various types of bones.

    Long bones

    Long bones act as levers. You can find them in your legs and arms. There are also some smaller long bones. These are found in your hands and feet.

    The long bones of the upper body include the clavicle, humerus, radius, ulna, metacarpals, and phalanges, whereas in the lower body there are the femur, tibia, fibula, metatarsals, and phalanges.

    They have a long thin section called a shaft, which has an enlarged head at each en. These bones are shaped much like a beam and exhibit a slight curvature that is necessary for efficient force distribution. Long bones are very strong, but they are not heavy. This is because they have a hollow in the middle of the shaft (marrow cavity).

    Long bones help us to move our body when we are playing sport, and it is therefore important to know how they are struc­tured. Generally, they are made up of two types of bone tissue:

    • Compact bone is an extremely tough material that forms the outside layer of a bone, and is the tissue we find in the shaft of a long bone.
    • Spongy bone is located inside the heads of long bones. It resembles a honeycombed criss cross pattern like scaffolding, giving the bone strength without a large amount of weight.

    long bones femur

    Short bones

    Short bones are cube shaped and much smaller in size. They consist predominantly of spongy bone tissue to maximize shock absorption. The carpals of the hands and tarsals of the feet fit this category. All short bones in our body are very strong and also quite similar in length and width.

    short bones carpal bones

    Flat bones

    Flat bones are thin and flat. These broad, plate-like bones provide attachment for the powerful muscles required to control the freely movable shoulder and hip joints.

    You will find them in your head, trunk, shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle, where they give protection to the delicate internal organs. Flat bones include, for example, your ribs, sternum, pelvis and shoulder blades.

    flat bones scapula

    Irregular bones

    Irregular bones are very complex in form and can take a variety of different shapes and sizes. Therefore we can rightly say that irregular bones are bones of unique shape and function that do not fit the characteristics of the other categories. They consist of a mass of spongy bone covered by a thin layer of compact bone. These normally have bits that stick out, known as projections.

    They support your weight, protect your spinal cord, and help you move.

    You’ll find them in your spinal column and in the middle ear. The vertebrae of your spine, for example, are irregular bones.

    irregular bones vertebra

    Sesamoid bones

    A fifth type of bone is called a sesamoid bone, and is located entirely in a tendon. The two knee caps (known as patella) are examples of this type of bone. They serve to improve leverage and protect the joint from damage. The presence, location and quantity of sesamoid bones varies considerably from person to person. Only the patella is present in all normal human skeletons.

    sesamoid bones patella

    Related topics

    1. Major bones of the human skeleton
    2. Human anatomy basics: The skeletal system

    Final note: Types of bones

    The human skeleton consists of 206 bones differing in size, shape, weight, and in some cases, composition. This diversity is related to the structural and mechanical functions of the skeleton, which include supporting the body, protecting the body cavities, acting as levers for muscle activity, and providing a site for blood cell development.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
    krunoslav
    • X (Twitter)

    Hey! My name is Kruno, and I'm the owner and author of Bodybuilding Wizard. I started this website back in late 2014, and it has been my pet project ever since. My goal is to help you learn proper weight training and nutrition principles so that you can get strong and build the physique of your dreams!

    Related Posts

    Understanding Physiological and Metabolic Changes During Exercise: A Comprehensive Guide

    The Science behind Muscle Growth: Unveiling the Differences between Hypertrophy and Hyperplasia in Humans

    Anabolic Hormones: Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    WE ARE SOCIAL
    • Facebook 3.6K
    • Twitter
    • YouTube 107
    • Instagram
    RECENT POSTS
    December 7, 2023

    Spirulina for Muscle Building: A Comprehensive Guide for Vegans and Vegetarians

    December 4, 2023

    Arthritis: Are Body Builders in The Risk Zone as They Age?

    December 3, 2023

    Edamame: The Protein Powerhouse for Muscle Building

    December 2, 2023

    Is Tempeh Good For Building Muscles?

    December 1, 2023

    Building Muscles with Seitan: A Complete Guide for Vegans & Vegetarians Seeking High-Quality Proteins

    RECENT COMMENTS
    • Justin Dew on Designing your own home gym
    • krunoslav on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • Christina on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • jack on Types Of Whey Protein
    • igtropin on Stiff-Leg Deadlift Technique
    LATEST GALLERIES

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    ABOUT
    ABOUT

    We are a group of bodybuilding enthusiasts and this is our effort to have all the details about bodybuilding on a single website. We strive to educate and inform our visitors so that they can make the correct training, nutrition, and supplement decisions on their own. Bodybuilding Wizard will make your dream body your reality and take you to a whole new level!

    POPULAR POSTS
    April 2, 2014

    Lying Leg Curl Exercise Guide

    February 18, 2019

    Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?

    March 30, 2014

    Workout Frequency

    BODYBUILDING WIZARD
    Bodybuilding Wizard Footer Logo
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    • About
    • Write for us
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Friends
    • Advertising
    Copyright © 2014-2023 BodybuildingWizard. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress. Made with love and lots of caffeine.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?