Science: An Elementary Teacher’s Guide/The Human Body: Bones

Introduction Of all wonders of nature, none surpasses the human body as a masterpiece of structure and design. No other creature has the ability to think and reason to the extent that humans can. Nothing else on Earth has such capacity to create or such power to destroy. A greater understanding of the body and how to care for it, can increase the quality of life, and few science topics surpass that of the human bodkin capturing the interest of children, especially in the intermediate grades. The objective of this chapter is not to produce physiologist, but simply to provide the introductory glimpse of structure, the function, and the marvels of the human body.

    This chapter discusses building block of the bod, the skin, the skeletal system, the muscular system, the circulatory system, the lymphatic system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the nervous system, and the five senses.  For some students, the preliminary information presented at the elementary level will kindle a curiosity that will lead to a lifetime study. For others, follow up study will be limited to the health and science courses required by the public schools. But all should gain a foundations for making better-informed decisions in caring for their bodies.

Building Blocks of the Body

Think of the body as a busy and productive factory, with many functions and many products that enable us to live pleasant and useful lives. Like a factory, the body is made up of many different kinds of materials. The smallest unit if living tissue is called a cell. The average adult human body is made up of some 60 trillion cells. which vary greatly in size, shape, and function. Groupings of similar cells from tissue.

'There are four main types of tissue in the body:'Bold text 1. Muscle tissue, which forms all the muscle of the body 2. Connective tissue, which supports body parts and holds them, together, including bone, blood tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. 3. Nerve tissue, which includes the brain, the spinal cord, and all nerves 4. Epithelial tissue, which forms the outer skin and lines body cavities, such as the mouth, nose, stomach, intestines, and heart

     Tissues are the basic material from which the more complex body parts and systems are formed. A group of tissues working together to perform a body function makes  up an organ.  The human body has many organs, including the skin, heart, lungs, liver, eyes, and so on. Organs that are part if the same general function combine to sort systems, such as the skeletal system, the digestive, and the circulatory system. 

Human body has 206 bones. The smallest bone in human body would be stapes. Stapes is one of the three bones found in the ear. This bones help convey sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. The largest bone is the femur. The femur function is to support the weight of the body and to help provide mobility to the body.

Types of bones

Skull

The skull consist of 22 bones that look like a puzzle. The skull protects the brain. Without the skull the brain is vulnerable to great damage from its fragile structure.

Spinal Column

The spinal Column is composed of 33 vertebrae. One function of spinal column is to support weight at standing up, walking and also provide support to head and torso.

Rib Cage

The rib cage is composed of seven true ribs, five false ribs and two floating ribs. The rib cage provides protection to vital organs such as heart, lungs and spleen. The main functions of the rib cage are protection, respiration and support.

Arms and Legs

Arm

Bone in hand, upper is humerus, and two bones from elbow outside are ulna and radius. They both help us turn our hand. Bones at hands are metacarpals. wrist bones are called carpals. Fingers bones are phalanges.

Legs

The upper bone of the leg is the longest bone named femur. The back bone if the femur is the tibia and bone at the side is fibula. Tarsals and long bones, and metatarsals are in foot too.

Joints

Two main components make the ball and socket up; a spherical end and a cup shaped bone.

Examples: shoulders(humerus and glenoid fossa), hips(femur and pelvis)

The Pivot joints consist of a rounded end that fits to a ring shape end.

Examples: first and second vertebrate, neck, wrist and ankle

The Hinge jointconnects the upper part of an arm, leg hands.

Examples knees elbow and fingers