The skeleton is the name given to the collection of bones that holds our body up. Our skeleton is very important to us. It does three major jobs.
1. It protects our vital organs such as the brain, the heart, and the lungs.
2. It gives us the shape that we have. Without our skeleton we would just be a blob of blood and tissue on the floor.
3. It allows us to move. Because our muscles are attached to our bones, when our muscles move, they move the bones, and we move.
When you were born your skeleton had around 350 bones. By the time you become an adult, you will only have around 206 bones. This is because, as you grow some of the bones join together to form one bone. Our bones dont simply work on their own. The bones join together to form joints. The end of each bone is covered by a tough, smooth, shiny substance called cartilage. The cartilage covered bone ends are kept apart by a thin film of slippery fluid. All of this happens so your bones wont scratch and bump against each other when you move. Our bones are held together by strong stretchy bands called ligaments. These tissues prevent the bones from being dislocated or from extending beyond their proper range of movement.
The skeletal system is so important to me, Jill, because without it we would just be flat on the floor. We would be like a jelly fish that you can see from the wharf. We wouldnt be able to move at all. It gives us posture. It enables us to stand or sit. And it also protects us because most of our body is protected by bones. Without our skeletal system our body would be useless. Our skeleton is very ,very important.
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