How many bones do we have

The skeleton begins to develop in the fetus after 13 weeks of gestation. These are growing and increasing their thickness and resistance, at the same time that the muscular tissue is formed. A newly born baby has a total of 300 bones, which is more than the number of bones in an adult. This is explained by the fact that, later, the bones develop jointly, so their number is reduced. The clavicle is the first bone that begins to form during the development of the fetus, 5 or 6 weeks after conception. Bones are made up of two tissues: one compact and the other spongy. The latter has a soft spongy appearance, which contains stem cells that repair bones when injured. The bones are formed by calcium, sodium, phosphorus and collagen. Calcium is in charge of strengthening bones by hardening them so that they can support the weight of the body. Bone is the most resistant part of the body that can be found in vertebrates, that is, those that have a backbone. These have a great capacity to regenerate and reconstitute in case of damage, and each bone in particular has a certain function.

First of all, we must differentiate between:

• Long bones. They are the largest bones, made up of a central body and two ends: tibia, fibula, radius and humerus.
• Short bones. They are smaller in size and vary in shape from one to the other, although they are usually cubic or cylindrical: carpal and trunk bones.
• Flat bones. Their shapes and dimensions vary among them: ribs, skull bones, shoulder blades, parts of the pelvic girdle, etc.
• Irregular bones. They are those of a characteristic and different shape, such as those of the spine and those of the ear.
• Sesamoid bones. Small bones with a rounded shape that are found next to the joints and whose function is based on improving the lever function of the muscles. The best example of this type of bone is the patella, also known as a paddle.

As we explained previously, bones are made up of compact bone tissue and spongy bone tissue:

• The first is present in the outer layer of all bones and provides protection and consistency so that they support the stress of weight.
• The second does not present such a hardened consistency and is more brittle. It is made up of small plates of bone called trabeculae. This part of the bone is inside, providing consistency.

As we previously reported, the human being is born with 300 bones that later develop jointly. In this way, humans we have 206 bones in total.

• Axial part: formed by the head and its 28 bones; the thyroid bone and vertebrae, with 26 bones; the ribs with 24 bones; and the sternum.
• The appendicular part. Composed of the upper extremities and the scapular area, formed in total by 64 bones, and the lower extremities together with the pelvic area, with 62 bones.

Now that you know how many bones we have and the types there are, we are going to talk to you about a series of curiosities about them, so that you know them more thoroughly.

• The smallest bone is found in the ear and its name is stapes.
• The largest bone is the femur, which forms the upper part of the leg that joins the knee to the hip, and measures a quarter of the total height.
• The bone most prone to break is the clavicle.
• Bones make up 14% of our total weight.
• The enamel that surrounds bones is the strongest substance in the human body.
• Humans have the same number of neck bones as a giraffe, despite the fact that the latter can grow to 2 meters.

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