The human body is full of surprises. How it moves, how it works, every little detail is extremely inspiring. Speaking of the structure of the human body, the skeleton acts like a gold mine.
The longest bone in the human body: femur
The femur is the longest bone that we can find in the human body. It is almost 50 centimeters long and is commonly known as the thigh bone. One can assess that the femur is the longest bone just by looking at the thigh. It extends from the hip to the knee area.
The shortest bone in the human body: stirrup
The stapes is the smallest bone in the human body. It is the third bone among the three small bones of the middle ear. It is a bone in the shape of a stirrup that rests on the oval window that is connected by an annular ligament. It measures between 2.5 and 3.4 millimeters in length. It receives that name because of its resemblance to the stirrups that are used for horseback riding.
The ossicles of the middle ear, hammer, anvil and stapes, transmit sound pressure waves from the outer ear (and the eardrum) to the inner ear, where the waves are translated into nerve impulses that go to the brain for identification.
Did you know that the human skeleton is made up of more than 200 bones?
Inside our body there are 206 bones . Each bone plays a very important role so that all the mechanics of the body work correctly. If a bone is broken, all the surrounding bones cannot do their duty properly.
How many types of bone does the human body have?
We have two types of bone. We could think of bone as a hard and dense material, but only one type of bone is like that. This hard, dense bone is called cortical bone. Cortical bones are primarily “frame” bones. The second type, the trabecular bone, is soft and spongy. It is usually found within large bones and in the pelvis, ribs, and skull. Although it is less dense than cortical bone, it is still quite hard and protective.
Did you know that bones are filled with spongy tissue?
Bone marrow is a spongy substance found within large bones such as the hips, pelvis, and femur. The bone marrow houses stem cells. Stem cells are responsible for making many of the important cells in our body, including blood, brain, heart, and bone cells.
How many bones are babies born with?
Adults will end up with only 206 bones, but babies are born with almost 100 more , that is, they are born with about 300 bones. It is not that bones disappear as we age, but rather that these small bones fuse to form the largest bones in the skeletal system.
Did you know that most people have 12 ribs, but some have 13?
Having 13 ribs is a rare thing anyway. Only 1% of people are born with it. In most, this extra rib, called the cervical rib, can cause medical problems such as neck pain. For that reason, people born with this extra rib often have it removed.
