Human Skeleton: Structure and Movement

Name:

Date:

Part 1: Identify and Organise

Learning intentions: I can name major bones, describe their functions, and explain how the skeleton supports, protects and helps the body move.

1. Label the supplied human skeleton diagram. Use the word bank. If the diagram is crowded, label the main groups of small bones rather than every individual bone.

Word bank: skull/cranium, mandible, clavicle, scapula, sternum, ribs, vertebral column/spine, pelvis, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals

2. Sort the following bones into the axial skeleton or the appendicular skeleton: skull/cranium, ribs, vertebral column, clavicle, femur and pelvis.

3. Match each bone to its main function. Write the correct letter beside each number.

1. Skull/cranium ______

2. Ribs ______

3. Femur ______

4. Patella ______

5. Vertebral column ______

A. Protects the spinal cord and supports the trunk

B. Protects the brain

C. Protects the heart and lungs

D. Helps protect the knee joint

E. Strong weight-bearing bone of the thigh

4. In anatomical position, which bone is on the thumb side of the forearm: the radius or the ulna? Which is on the little-finger side?

Part 2: Explain Structure, Protection and Movement

5. Explain one way the skeleton provides support and one way it protects the body.

6. The shoulder joint allows a wider range of movement than the hip joint. Explain why this is useful, and describe one trade-off of having a very mobile joint.

7. A person bends their elbow to lift a book. Name the joint and the two main bones that meet there. Explain how the joint helps the movement.

8. Misconception check: “Bones are dead structures that cannot change.” Do you agree or disagree? Use one piece of evidence about living bone.

9. A cyclist falls forward and lands on their hands. Predict two bones or joints that may be affected and explain why.

10. Exit question: In one or two sentences, explain how bones, joints and muscles work together to produce movement.

Answer Key — Print on a Separate Final Page

1. Diagram labels should include: skull/cranium, mandible, clavicle, scapula, sternum, ribs, vertebral column/spine, pelvis, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, femur, patella, tibia, fibula and tarsals. Accept grouped labels for carpals and tarsals if the diagram is crowded.

2. Axial skeleton: skull/cranium, ribs and vertebral column. Appendicular skeleton: clavicle, femur and pelvis.

3. 1–B, 2–C, 3–E, 4–D, 5–A.

4. The radius is on the thumb side of the forearm. The ulna is on the little-finger side in anatomical position.

5. Answers should explain that the skeleton gives the body shape, supports soft tissues and provides attachment points for muscles. It protects organs, for example the skull protects the brain and the ribs protect the heart and lungs.

6. The shoulder is highly mobile, allowing the arm to move in many directions. This is useful for reaching and throwing. A trade-off is that greater mobility can make the joint less stable and more likely to dislocate or be injured than the hip.

7. The elbow is a hinge joint. The humerus meets the radius and ulna. The joint mainly allows bending and straightening in one plane, helping the person lift the book.

8. Disagree. Bones are living tissues with blood vessels and cells. They can grow, remodel and repair themselves; their strength can also be affected by nutrition and physical activity.

9. Possible answers include the carpals or wrist joint, radius, ulna, humerus, clavicle or shoulder joint. Explanations should link these structures to absorbing force, supporting the hand or connecting the arm to the trunk.

10. Muscles contract and pull on bones across joints. Bones act as levers, while joints allow controlled movement and ligaments help stabilise the joint.