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Four pieces of a skeleton laid out like museum specimens Four pieces of skeleton set out in a row on a shelf, the way a museum lays out specimens rather than the way they sit in a body. First a skull, with round eye sockets, a small nose hole and a row of teeth. Next a rib cage, with the spine running straight down the middle of it and three pairs of curved ribs. Next the bones of a hand lying flat with the fingers pointing to the right: a block of small wrist bones, then a separate little bone for every single joint, with the thumb branching off below. Last a long leg bone lying at an angle, with a rounded ball on a short angled neck at one end and two knuckles at the other.

The Human Body: Discovering Your Amazing Bones

About 4 minutes

Your skeleton does more than hold you up. It protects your organs, works with your muscles to move you, and some of your bones even manufacture your blood cells.

What are Bones?

Bones are hard and strong because they are made of living cells and minerals, especially calcium. Working together, they form your skeleton — the structural frame the rest of your body is built around.

Parts of the Skeleton

Your skeleton is made up of many different bones, each with a special job.

Pick a part of the skeleton to find out what it is for.

  • Skull — a hard case around your brain. Press gently on your forehead and you are touching it right now.
  • Rib cage — a curved cage around your heart and lungs. It has to protect them and still let them move, which is why it is made of separate bars rather than one solid shell.
  • Spine — your backbone. It holds you upright and protects your spinal cord, the bundle of nerves running from your brain down your back.
  • Arms and legs — your longest bones. They work with your muscles to move you about.
  • Fingers and toes — lots of small bones packed together. All those joints are what let you grip a pencil and keep your balance.

Try This: Feel Your Bones

You can feel some of your bones just by touching yourself carefully.

  1. Gently press on your forehead. That hardness is your skull.
  2. Rest your hands on your sides and breathe in deeply. Feel your ribs lift and spread, then settle back down.
  3. Squeeze your upper arm, then your thigh. Those are your longest bones.
  4. Wiggle your wrist and roll your ankle. Both feel knobbly because many small bones meet there.

Fun Facts About Bones

Bones are strong, but they can break — which is why protective gear matters during sports. Your body is constantly building new bone tissue, so a broken bone can knit itself back together. Healthy food and regular activity keep them strong in the first place.