The Skeletal System and How it Works

1. The Skeletal System and How it Works Ms. Edwina

2. Your Skeletal System Has Three Main Jobs • Your Skeletal System is all the different shapes and sizes of bones in your body. • There are three main jobs that the skeleton is responsible for.

3. The First Main Job of the Skeletal System First, your skeleton protects the fragile parts of your body like the heart, the brain, and the lungs better known as your organs.

4. The Second Main Job Second, your skeleton lets you move. It allows you to sit, walk, run, jump bend, skip, flip, roll and twist or turn. This is done with the help of your muscles.

5. The Third Main Job Last, your skeleton gives your body its shape and structure. All people have there own shape and size so everybody is different.

6. The backbone Your backbone also known as your spine is made up of a column of small ring shaped bones called vertebrae (plural); vertebra (singular). The vertebrae are separated by small cushions of rubbery cartilage. This stops the bones from rubbing together and acts like a cushion. Your backbone also protects your nerves that send messages from your brain to the rest of your body.

7. Keep Your System Working Well Remember to get enough calcium and exercise everyday. Here are some things you should do: • Exercise every day • Eat all the right amount of servings of each food group every day. • Drink at least 3-4 glasses of milk a day. • Eat 1-2 vitamins a day. It will keep your bones strong.

8. Important facts to remember! • Remember: • The skeleton allows movement. • It supports our body and protects our organs. • We have 206 bones as adults • Your thigh is the largest bone in your body. • Cartilage is the rubbery cushion found in the body. • Calcium is important to keep our bones healthy. • Our skeleton grows with us but it stops growing when we reach a certain age.