The skeleton is the living framework made by the joining of the bones. It serves to provide support, body movement powered by muscular contractions, protection for the vital organs and other soft structures, blood cell production, and storage for essential minerals. There are 206 bones in the adult body, forming the two divisions of the skeletal system.
- The axial skeleton is comprised of skull, vertebrae, rib cage and sternum
- The appendicular skeleton is comprised of the upper and lower extremeties, the shoulder and pelvic girdles