THE SKULL, SPINE, AND

RIBS
Different parts of each section

THE SKULL
Protects the most important part of the body
The brain
Some protect the brain
Others make the structure of the face
Feel the skull by pushing on your head

THE SKULL
Made up of different bones
Changed since we were babies
Babies are born with spaces between their
bones
The bones can overlap
As we grow the space slowly closes and
disappears
Special joints called sutures connect
the bones

THE SPINE
Lets us bend, twist, and holds our body upright
Protects the.
spinal cord- a large bundle of nerves that sends
information from your brain to the rest of your body
Not made up of just one or two bone but 26 bones
These are called the vertebrae and each one is shaped
like a ring

VERTEBRAE
Different types of vertebrae
They all have different kinds of jobs
Inbetween each vertebrae are small disks
Made of cartilage
Help vertebrae from rubbing against one another
Act as shock absorbers

Cervical Vertebrae
The first seven at the top
In the back of the neck, just below the brain
Support the head and the neck
Atlas (C1)
Axis (C2)

 Thoracic Vertebrae
12 in all
They anchor the ribs into place

VERTEBRAE

Lumbar Vertebrae
5 in all

Sacrum
Made of 5 different bones that are fused into one bone
Coccyx
Made of 4 bones fused together into one bone
The bottom sections
Important when it comes to bearing weight and a good

RIBS
Protect the
heart, lungs, and liver

Act like a cage of bones around our chest

Come in pairs or sets
12 pairs of ribs

RIBS
All 12 are attached to the spine in the back
The first 7 are attached in the front to the sternum
Sternum- a strong bone in the center of our chest that
holds ribs in place

The next 3 are held on with cartilage to the ribs

above
The last 2 sets are floating ribs
They are not connected to the sternum of
the ribs above
They are secured to the spine in the back