Types of Skeletons

Hydrostatic Skeleton:
A support system provided by fluid (water in body
cavities) which exerts pressure from the inside on the
body wall.
This pressure helps the organism keep its shape.
The muscles contract against this fluid.

ADVANTAGES
This skeleton does not require special support structures
or tissues.

DISADVANTAGES
1. Organisms are susceptible to drying-out.
2. Speed of movement is limited.

3. Limits the size which an animal can reach. Lightning Warrior Raidy 2

Exoskeleton: are external skeletons

that cover the bodies of arthropods,
crustaceans and insects.
ADVANTAGES
1. Reduces water loss.
2. Gives smaller animals support and
protection.
3. Muscles attach internally;
Give good, controlled movement.
4. Exoskeleton is thin & flexible at joints
presence of joints allow quick movement

DISADVANTAGES
1. Chitinous coat cant grow, therefore it has
to mould, vulnerable.
2. Incr. size of muscles, is offset by incr. in
size of exoskeleton

Endoskeleton: a support structure (of bones and

cartilage) found on the inside of the body, eg. in
humans, dogs, mice.

ADVANTAGES
1.
2.
3.
4.

Presence of joints in the skeleton allows flexibility

Does not limit the size of muscles that be attached.
More for muscle attachment improves ability to move and the power of the movement.
Overall, animals can grow too much larger sizes.

DISADVANTAGE
Organism is more vulnerable to physical injury than is the case
with an exoskeleton.

Human Skeleton

The human skeleton is made up of BONE.

The skeleton is an internal framework to which muscles are attached to allow movement.
There are 206 Bones in the human skeleton.
The smallest known bone is the ear, whilst the largest bone is the thigh bones.

Human Skeleton can be divided into two main parts

Skeleton

Axial Skeleton

Skull

Vertebral Column,
ribs and breast bone

Appendicular Skeleton

Pectoral
(Shoulder) girdle
and arms

Pelvic (hip) girdle

and legs

Functions:

The skeleton forms a framework to support other parts of the body, It gives the body shape
and rigidity
Protects vital organs, for example:
The rib cage protects the heart and lungs

Muscles are attached to the skeleton, which allows movement

Bones in ear, aid/help in your hearing
The bones are a reserve store of the mineral calcium and phosphorus in the body. The
substance such as calcium phosphate give bones its hardness
Long bones manufacture red blood cells

Structure and functions of

tissues of the skeleton:
Bone:
It is made up of bone cells in a hard matrix.
The bone cells are in spaces in the matrix
Bone cells secrete minerals such as calcium phosphate in the body
In long bones, such as the femur of your thigh, only the outer part of the bone is hard tissue,
whilst inside the bone is soft and spongy tissue (also known as Marrow)

Cartilage:
Is a type of connective tissue