Irregular Bones Essay

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Irregular bones are bones of various shapes that do not fall into these other categories. The hip bones, the vertebrae, and many of the bones of the skull are example.
Sesamoid bones, literally “seed-like” bones, comprise the fifth small but important type of bone and are embedded within a tendinous structure. This type of bone (e.g., the patellar) increases the efficiency of the muscle in which it is located by improving the mechanical advantage of the muscle at that joint.

Bone contains an inorganic component composed of mineral salts, primarily calcium and potassium, and an organic component made of collagen, a complex protein that is found in various forms in bone and other connective tissues. According to Wolff’s Law, bone is capable of adjusting its strength in proportion to the amount of stress placed on it. When young, healthy people participate in exercise programs for extended periods of time, their bones can become more dense through increased deposition of mineral salts and the number of collagen fibers. On the other hand, if bones are not subjected to mechanical stresses, as in individuals with sedentary lifestyle or …show more content…

This portion of the skeletal provides the main structural support for the body while also protecting the central nervous system and vital organs in the thorax (heart, lungs, etc.). Of primary importance is the adult vertebral column, consisting of 33 vertebrae divided into five groups and named according to the region of the body in which they are located. The upper seven are cervical vertebrae, followed in descending order by 12 thoracic vertebrae, five lumbar vertebrae, five sacral vertebrae fused into one bone as the sacrum, and four coccygeal vertebrae fused together into one bone called the coccyx. The sacral vertebrae and coccygeal vertebrae become fused in the adult, so there are only 24 movable vertebrae (Fig given

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