The Body's Bones

There are LOTS of bones in your body, and all of them have names! They have Latin names because Latin was the international language when they were named, and some scientists even use it today.

For example, your skull is called the cranium and is below the mandible. The skull houses your brain and the mandible is used to chew your food. Below that is the clavicle, or collarbone, which connects your shoulders.

Phalanges are some bones in fingers and toes. More bones in the fingers and hands include carpals and metacarpals. You can find tarsals and metatarsals on your foot. Phalanges in your fingers are specialized to do more precise work, like typing.

The sternum is the bone in the middle of your chest that connects all the ribs.

The malleus, incus, and stapes (aka. the hammer, anvil, and stirrup) are in your ear. They work together to let you hear, and they are also called the ossicle.

The ulna, radius, and humerus are found in your arm and the femur, fibula, and tibia are in your leg. The femur (for instance), or thigh bone is the longest, strongest, and heaviest bone in your body. All of the body's weight is supported by the femurs in many activities, such as standing and running.

Your shoulder blades are called scapulas. They connect your arms to your body.

For more information about other bones, check out Paul's post on this subject: https://homeschooler.info/the-names-of-bones/

I made up a saying to help me remember the femur bone: "if you trip on a lemur, you might break your femur!"