The Skeletal System
Pre-Lab Questions
List the functions of the skeletal system.
What material contributes the most to the compressive strength of bone?
Briefly describe the process of bone remodeling.
Research Wolff’s Law. How does the formation of torus mandibularis relate to this theory?
Given your understanding of Wolff’s Law, what mechanical consideration would be important when designing a bioreactor for osteocyte growth ex vivo?
Experiment 1: Classification of Bones
Data Tables
Table 6: Classification of Numbered Bones
| Bone Name | Classification by Shape | Classification by Location |
Post-Lab Questions
1. Why is it important to classify bones?
Aside from length, what are some other common characteristics of a long bone? Are long bones typically associated with the axial or appendicular skeleton?
Compare and contrast flat bones and long bones.
Experiment 2: Digital Slide Image Examination – Bone
Post-Lab Questions
1. Identify the indicated components in the slide image.
A_________________
B_________________
C_________________
D_________________
Identify the indicated components in the slide image.
A_________________
B_________________
Compare and contrast the structures of cortical bone and trabecular bone.
What is the purpose of cortical bone and trabecular bone?
What are trabeculae? What is their function?
What are Haversian systems? What is their function?
Experiment 3: Owl Pellet Dissection
Data Tables
Table 7: Owl Pellet Observations
| Pellet Characteristics | Observations |
| Pellet Length (cm) | |
| Pellet Width (cm) | |
| Physical Observations |
Table 8: Animal Bone Observations
| Bone | Animal Source | Number of Bones |
| Skull | ||
| Jaw | ||
| Scapula | ||
| Rib | ||
| Vertebrae | ||
| Hindlimb | ||
| Forelimb | ||
| Pelvic bone |
Post-Lab Questions
1. What types of bones did you recover from the pellet?
Compare the bones you dissected in the owl pellet to human bones. Which bones are similar, which are different, and why?
How can scientists use owl pellets to study the skeletal systems of small mammals in a specific ecosystem?
In addition to owls, other birds of prey produce pellets. The contents of these pellets are dictated by where the bird lives. What would you expect to find in a pellet from a shorebird, such as a gull?
Experiment 4: Effects of Acid on Bone
Data Tables
Table 9: Effect on Pellet Bones
| Beaker | Observations |
| Water | |
| Vinegar |
Post-Lab Questions
1. Which group of bones is more flexible? Why is this so?
What was damaged in the bones placed in vinegar?
How might the experiment results vary if the same procedure was performed using bones that had not been regurgitated in an owl pellet (such as raw chicken bones)?
Some people suffer from a disease called rickets, in which their bones have not been adequately calcified. Which group of bones is most similar to that of a patient with rickets? Why?
Experiment 5: Physical Skeleton – The Axial Skeleton
Data Tables
Table 15: Cervical Vertebrae Observations
| Vertebral Feature | Observations |
| Size of cervical vertebrae in comparison to those of the thoracic and lumbar region | |
| Shape of the vertebral foramen | |
| Spinous process of the C3 – C6
vertebrae |
|
| Spinous process of the C7 vertebra |
Table 16: Thoracic Vertebrae Observations
| Vertebral Feature | Observations |
| Size and weight of the thoracic vertebrae in comparison to those of the cervical and lumbar region | |
| Shape of the vertebral body | |
| Appearance and projection direction of the spinous process |
Table 17: Lumbar Vertebrae Observations
| Vertebral Feature | Observations |
| Size of the lumbar vertebrae in comparison to those of the cervical and thoracic region | |
| Shape of the vertebral body | |
| Appearance and projection direction of the spinous process |
Table 18: Rib Feature Observations
| Rib Feature | Observations |
| Length of ribs 1 – 7 (do they increase or decrease in length?) | |
| Length of ribs 8 – 12 (do they increase or decrease in length?) | |
| Articulation of the ribs and thoracic vertebrae (notice the specific rib and vertebra that articulate) |
Post-Lab Questions
1. What are the three components of the axial skeleton? Describe the function of each.
Identify the labeled components on the skull below.
A ________________
B ________________
C ________________
D ________________
E ________________
F ________________
Indicate whether the following bones are cranial or facial bones, and give their location.
| Bone | Facial or Cranial Location |
| Temporal Bones | |
| Mandible | |
| Vomer | |
| Zygomatic Bones | |
| Parietal Bones | |
| Ethmoid Bone | |
| Sphenoid Bone | |
| Lacrimal Bones |
What are the three regions of the vertebral column? Describe the general shape and size of the vertebrae in each region.
What are the atlas and axis? What are their functions?
Identify the vertebral structures on the images below.
A ________________
B ________________
C ________________
D ________________
E ________________
What is the purpose of the thoracic cage?
Describe the three components of the sternum.
Describe the difference between true ribs, false ribs, and floating ribs.
Experiment 6: Virtual Model – The Axial Skeleton
Post-Lab Questions
1. What features are located inferior to the cranium and superior to the mandible? Identify the category here. How many individual items are included in this category? (Hint: the answer is not a bone.)
Why aren’t teeth considered bones?
Identify the two major bones that comprise the head.
To what bones does the right scapula attach?
Is the left clavicle superior or inferior to the right scapula?
Experiment 7: Physical Skeleton – The Appendicular Skeleton
Post-Lab Questions
1. What are the four parts of the upper extremity and the lower extremity of the appendicular skeleton?
Compare and contrast the size and function of the upper and lower extremities of the appendicular skeleton.
What are the three fused bones that make up the coxae of the pelvic girdle? What is their location in relationship to one another?
Experiment 8: Virtual Model – The Appendicular Skeleton
Post-Lab Questions
1. How many left metatarsals are there?
Is the right fibula inferior or superior to the patella?
Which is more proximal to the body: the lunate bone or the medial epicondyle?
Which two bones attach to the patella?
Identify the two bones that comprise the leg.
Experiment 9: Articulations
Post-Lab Questions
1. In what two ways can joints be classified? What are the three classifications of each type?
Fibrous joints are either sutures or syndesmoses. What is the difference between the two? Give examples of each type.
Symphyses and synchondroses are two classifications of what type of joint? What are the differences between the two classifications?
What allows synovial joints to be diarthrotic?
Fill in the table below:
| Joint | Articulating Bones | Type of Synovial Joint | Movement |
| Elbow | |||
| Knee | |||
| Hip | |||
| Ankle | |||
| Wrist |
