Script

(INTRODUCE YOURSELVES)

Today we’ll be reporting about our topic, The Skeletal System.

Rea: Most animals have a firm framework, called a skeleton, that provides physical support and
protection for the body, and also surfaces for the attachment of muscles.

Dan:There are three basic types of skeletons in the animal kingdom. Some animals, such as
earthworms, are supported by a flexible skeleton filled with liquid in their bodies, called the
hydrostatic skeleton.

Mara: Animals such as corals, mollusks, crabs, and insects have a hard external covering called
an exoskeleton. This type of skeleton is rigid in corals but appears jointed and movable in
insects.
Exoskeletons also serve as a defensive armor for certain animals such as turtles, crabs, and
armadillos.

Higher forms of animals, particularly vertebrates, are supported by a hard framework inside their
bodies. This internal framework is called an endoskeleton.

Rea: Now we’ll be moving on to the Human Skeletal System. Have any of you ever wondered
about what your skeleton did? The skeletal system, specifically the bones and joints, have the
following functions:

● Provides shape and support for the body.

● Protects internal body organs such as the ribs and breastbone, which surround and
protect the heart and lungs; the vertebral column, which protects the spinal cord; and the
skull, which encloses and protects the brain.
● Provides attachments for major muscles so that muscles and bones can work together to
move the body.
● Produces blood cells in the red marrow of certain bones
● Stores calcium, and phosphorus compounds, which are the substances that make bones
hard. When minerals are needed in other parts of the body, they are released from bone
tissues into the bloodstream.

Dan: When we were born, our skeleton had around 350 bones. By the time we become adults,
some of the bones have already fused together to form one bone. That is why a normal adult
has only around 206 bones. The human skeletal system has two divisions—axial and
appendicular.

Mara: About 80 bones form the axial skeleton, which includes the skull, ribs, breastbone, and
vertebral column. The most complex part of the axial skeleton is the skull. Of the 29 bones of
the skull, eight bones form the cranium, which encases the brain. The skull is attached to the
top of the spine or backbone, which is a flexible, curving column of 26 vertebrae that supports
the center of the body. Curving forward from the middle vertebrae are 12 pairs of ribs, which
form a protective cage around the heart, lungs, and other vital organs.

Rea: The other 126 bones compose the appendicular skeleton, which is made up of all the
bones attached to the axial skeleton. The appendicular skeleton forms the appendages or limbs.
The arms and legs are attached to the axial skeleton at the shoulders and hips, respectively.
The shoulder attachment, called the pectoral girdle, contains two large, flat shoulder blades or
scapulas, and two slender, curved collar bones or clavicles. The clavicles connect the scapulas
to the upper region of the sternum and hold the shoulders apart. This arrangement enables full
rotation of the arms about the shoulder. The hip attachment, called the pelvic girdle, contains
two large pelvic bones. The pelvic bones distribute the weight of the body evenly down the legs.

Dan: Bones have different forms that relate to how they perform their functions and where in the
body they are located. There are five types of bones classified by shape.

Mara: Long Bones are found on the legs and arms. They are hollow, yet strong and lightweight.
These bones’ length exceeds their width. They are thickest toward the middle because the
strain is greatest in this region. They are slightly curved at the shaft area, which is ideal for
supporting weight and movement.

Flat Bones are found in the ribs, breastbone, pelvis, bones of the skull, and shoulder bones.
They are thin in appearance, which is ideal for extensive muscle attachment or protection for
soft or vital organs of the body. The ribs and breastbone, for example, protect the lungs and the
heart. The bones of the skull protect the brain.

Short Bones such as those in the hands and feet support weight and allow many small
movements.

Irregular Bones are irregularly shaped. The wrist bones, ankle bones, and the vertebrae are
examples of irregular bones.

Sesamoid Bones are small and rounded in appearance. They assist in the proper functioning
of the muscles. These bones are enclosed in a tendon and located adjacent to joints. The
patella or kneecap is the largest among the sesamoid bones.

Rea: Your skeleton is made up of two tissues called bone and cartilage. Bones are made up of
protein and calcium, which make them strong. Cartilage, on the other hand, is found between
your bones and acts as a shock absorber and cushion when you move.

If you were to examine a bone carefully, you would find that its surface is made up of bumps,
ridges, rough areas, and even holes. Many of the bumps and ridges provide attachments for
muscles and ligaments. Ligaments are bands of special strong tissue that connect bones to
bones. Bones have their own nerves and blood vessels, and they do various jobs such as
storing body minerals. The holes allow the blood vessels and nerves to exit the bone.

Rea: From the outside, many bones are covered and protected by a tough, white membrane
called periosteum, which is made up of connective tissue and bone-forming cells involved in
the growth and repair of the bone. Small blood vessels in the periosteum carry oxygen and
nutrients into the bone tissue. Nerve fibers are also found in the periosteum.

Mara: Compact bone is a dense connective tissue that provides a great deal of support. It
contains bone cells, blood vessels, and a flexible protein base called collagen, which keeps the
bone from becoming too brittle.

Spongy bone is a loosely structured network of separated connective tissue, which looks like a
honeycomb. Spongy bone has many small open spaces, so it is much lighter in weight and
softer than a compact bone. Spongy bone is mostly found at the ends of long bones such as the
humerus and femur. Some cavities in a spongy bone are filled with a soft tissue called a bone
marrow.

Rea: Spongy bone in flat bones contains red bone marrow that produces both red and white
blood cells. The hollow interior of long bones is filled with yellow bone marrow, which consists
mostly of fat that stores energy. A thick, smooth layer of cartilage tissue covers the ends of
many bones.

Dan: Have you ever carried a baby in your arms? Did the adults ever tell you to be careful when
holding them because of their soft bones? The skeleton of a young child is mostly made up of
cartilage, a type of connective tissue that serves as a template for bone formation. As the child
grows older, the cartilage is gradually replaced by bone as minerals are deposited. Deposits of
calcium and other minerals harden the bones so they can withstand stress and provide support.

Mara: In a compact bone, new bones or osteocytes are added in layers around narrow, hollow
channels shaped like concentric rings called Haversian canals or osteon. Haversian canals
extend down the length of a bone, forming columns that enable the bone to withstand
tremendous amounts of stress. Eventually, bone cells or osteocytes become embedded within
the bone tissue. Haversian canals also contain blood vessels that enter the bone through the
periosteum, which supply osteocytes with nutrients needed for their maintenance. Bones
continue to thicken and elongate as bone cells replace cartilage through adolescence. Bone
elongation occurs at the ends of long bones. Cartilage will eventually degenerate as new bone
cells are added, causing bones to lengthen.

Rea:Bones do not simply work on their own. Almost all of the 206 bones of the human body are
connected to one another. These connections are called joints. As mentioned earlier, the end of
each bone is covered by a cartilage. The cartilage-covered bone ends are kept apart by a thin
film of slippery fluid called the synovial fluid that works like oil in a car. This ensures that your
bones will not scratch and bump against each other when you move and withstand great
pressure and stress.

Dan: Bones are also held together by strong stretchy bands called ligaments. They help
stabilize joints and prevent it from moving too far in one direction. Most sports-related injuries
are caused by an impact that causes the joints to overextend and forces ligaments to stretch
beyond their limits. Bones are also connected to muscles by a dense connective tissue called
tendons.

Mara: The skeletal system contains three main types of joints that enable varying degrees of
movement: immovable, slightly movable, and freely movable.

Rea: Fixed or immovable joints occur when bones are fused together by a protein called
collagen, thus little or no movement is allowed. Immovable joints hold the bones of the adult
human skull together. The cranial bones of the skull are joined by a type of immovable joint
called sutures, in which the bones are divided only by a thin layer of connective tissue that
fuses later. Immovable joints also hold the bones of the pelvis together.

Dan: Slightly movable joints allow bones to have limited movement. The vertebrae of the
spine are joined by cartilaginous joints, which are a kind of slightly movable joint. They help you
absorb vertebral shocks. Slightly movable joints are also located between bones of the rib cage.

Mara: The human body has a wide range of motion because of the presence of freely movable
joints. Ligaments, which are connective tissues that can stretch, connect the bones in movable
joints. Freely movable joints include the elbows, hips, shoulders, and knees.

That is all for our report, we hope that you all learned from our presentation.