Bones are important organs in your body. You depend on them to give your body structure and support and to let you use your muscles to move. They help protect your other organs, make blood cells, and store minerals like calcium. Life as you know it wouldn’t exist without your skeleton, so let’s take a closer look at the bones of your body.
In adult humans, the skeleton is made of 206 bones. Babies are born with around 300 bones, but many fuse (grow together) as they get older. These bones come in many shapes and sizes. Long and thick bones, like your thigh bones, are especially important for making blood cells. Other bones, like your kneecaps (called patellas), are thin and are used for protection. Explore the different bones in your skeleton and learn about their shapes and jobs in the Skeleton Viewer. If you want to learn more about what the inside of a bone looks like, make sure to visit the Bone Anatomy Viewer.