Thumb Lab HomeworkBind your opposable thumb to your hand using a

cloth to tie it to your hand, or you can just tape it.Try the following activities at home:Use the remote controlOpen a door by turning a knobDrink from a cupTie your shoeWrite using a pen or pencilFor each activity, write a few sentences describing

your observations and experienceHumans are one of the few animals that have this

opposable thumb. Explain if this is a benefit or a disadvantage.

The Skeletal System

FunctionsIt protects our vital organs such as the

brain, heart, and lungsIt gives us the shape that we have, without

it we would be a blob of blood and tissue on the floor

It provides us with movement. Because our muscles are attached to bones, when muscles moves, they move bones, and we move

It is responsible for the production of blood cells

It stores the minerals calcium and phosphorus

Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?It didn’t have any guts .

You have 206 bones in your body as adultAs a baby, you mostly are made up of

cartilage, a soft and flexible tissue, but as you grow the cartilage is replaced by bone

Also, a baby’s skeleton still has bone that is not completely fused together, so they have 275 bones

The tips of the nose, outer ear, and parts of the ribs remain cartilage our entire lives, which is a flexible tissue (softer than bone, tough bendable tissue)

Cartilage also cushions our joints.

JOINTSPlaces in the body where two or more

bones meet or join

Ball and Socket Joint allows for the greatest range of motion (found in the hip and shoulder)

The hinge Joint provides movement backwards and forwards (elbow and knee)

Saddle Joint

JointsMovable- move

freely, like the hinge joint,

ball and socket and gliding joints

Fixed or Immovable-these joints are not movable; the joints in your skull are immovable

Some joints are semi-movableThese joints allow limited movement, like

the joints in the vertebrae

OsteoblastsBone may seem lifeless, but it is actually

alive with blood vessels It is made of connective tissue and

mineralsOsteoblasts are bone forming cells

Cartilage

Compact Bone

The part of bone that does not have any visible openings is called compact bone

It is rigid and dense

Bone MarrowThe center of the bone is

made of a spongy material called marrow

Blood stem cells are blood cells at their earliest stage of development; the blood cells form in the red marrow

When stem cells mature into blood cells, they are released into the blood stream

Yellow marrow stores fat

So deep in the bones, in the marrow, blood cells are formed. You will learn in the heart unit coming up, that red blood cells only live 120 days, after which they must be replaced

Mature Stem Cells and CancerThe mature stem cells associated with those that

form blood cells in the bone marrow are the most common type used to treat human diseases today

Bone marrow stem cells have been used to treat cancer patients with leukemia and lymphoma

Chemotherapy kills most of the patient’s leukemia cells, as well as some of their bone marrow stem cells

If stem cells in bone marrow are removed before the chemotherapy, and then re-injected after treatment, the stem cells in the marrow are able to produce large amounts of red blood and white blood cells, to keep the body healthy and to help fight off infections

Ligaments attach bone to bone, while tendons attach muscle to bone

People who are double-jointed don’t have two joints as the name implies…they just are able to naturally stretch more than others

This could be because…They have extra stretchy ligamentsOr they may have more shallow sockets

where the bone fits in a joint (Shallow sockets allow a greater range of

motion than a deep one)Or the ends of the bone are smoother than

normal

Sprain- an injury which occurs to ligaments caused by them being over stretched beyond their normal capacity, and possible torn

Fracture- a break in the bone; fractures vary in their severity

Dislocation- a bone is forced out of its joint-ouch!

ArthritisDisease in which the joints become

inflamed, or damaged due to wear and tear, causes pain, redness, swelling, and possibly loss of function

Two types: Osteoarthritis (most common type)- caused by wear and tear of the joints over time, common in older adults

Rheumatoid arthritis- caused by inflammation of the joints

In this knee, arthritis will cause joint problems because of the loss of cartilage shown. This results in inflammation, swelling and pain,

Can Cracking Knuckles Lead to Arthritis?Possibly osteoarthritis, because it can lead

to wear and tear of the joints, but not very likely

The knuckles are the joints in the fingers and toes. They are bathed in a liquid called synovial fluid which lubricates the joints. Some times bubbles of gas form in this fluid and when the joint is manipulated in a certain way, it can cause the bubbles to burst, resulting in a popping sound.

Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a bone

disease best described as “porous or brittle bones”

Bones are living tissue that are constantly being built

Bone cells are called osteocytes

With this disease, the rate of bone loss is greater than the rate of bone building, resulting in thin, brittle bones that can fracture easily

Osteoporosis FactsMore than 28 million Americans have

osteoporosis or are at risk of developing itFrom birth to adolescence new bone is

built faster than old bone is removedDuring adolescence bone grows even

faster and strongerBone mass peaks between the ages of 20-

30, after that bone loss can outpace bone formation

After menopause in women, bone loss speeds up because of the loss of the hormone, estrogen, that helps to protect bones

Notice the “porous” bone on the right

How can you help prevent osteoporosis and keep bones healthy?

Eating a well-balanced diet rich in calcium

Regularly doing weight- bearing activities (anaerobic exercises)

Avoiding excess alcoholAvoid tobacco smoke Building healthy bones at any

age can help prevent osteoporosis later in life!

BONE Building Minerals

Calcium rich foodsPhosphorus rich foods

Dairy foods-Milk, cheese, yogurt

Soy MilkDark leafy

vegetables, like spinach and kale

AlmondsOrange juice and

other products that have calcium added to them

Dairy foods-Milk, yogurt, cheese

Meat and FishAlmondsEggsPeanutsLentilsBreadWheat bran

ScoliosisScoliosis is an unhealthy curvature of a

normally straight spineA rotation of the vertebrae and rib cage

usually accompanies this unhealthy curveIf untreated it can lead to disfigurement,

respiratory problems, digestive problems, and pain

It may be caused by an injury or trauma, or poor neurological or muscular control of the spine, but for most cases the cause is unknown

ScoliosisScoliosis is sometimes caused be

injuries or trauma, but the cause for most cases is unknown

Treatment can include wearing a brace, but some cases might require surgical correction of curve

But many cases are mild and will never require treatment

Scoliosis is more common among girls, can be genetic, and is usually diagnosed during adolescence

I hope you are ready for your test on Friday! Study your notes on the skeletal system, and get to know all those bones in your lovely body…and yes, spelling will count