Lab 4: The Skeletal System (Part I)

Part A. Overview of the Skeleton

Part B. Bones of the Human Skeleton: Axial Skeleton

Lab 4 Checklist: (to be completed before Lab 4)

Complete the Review Sheets from Lab 3.

Be prepared for the quiz at the beginning of this lab. The quiz will be based on
last weeks lab.

Read all material for this lab, including the Lab Manual exercise Overview of
the Skeleton and the Lab Supplement material.

Bring A Brief Atlas of the Human Body (and textbook) to lab, for use in your
study of the axial skeleton.

Read on Features of the vertebral column and abnormal spinal curvatures in

your textbook pp. 218-220.

Read and start the Review Sheets for this lab.

You may wish to visit the BIOL 1220/1221 Virtual Models website at
https://courses.mtroyal.ca/biolab/ and review the skeletal system.

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Learning Objectives:

The student should be able to:

1. Name the two tissue types that form the skeleton.
2. List the functions of the skeletal system.
3. Identify and locate the three major types of skeletal cartilages.
4. Describe the classification of bones.
5. Describe the gross anatomy of a typical long bone.
6. Explain the role of inorganic salts and organic matrix in providing flexibility and
hardness to bone.
7. Locate and identify the major parts of an osteon microscopically, or on a
histological model or appropriate image of compact bone.
8. Identify the bones of the axial skeleton and name the important landmarks.
Please note the key terms for this objective will be contained in the Lab
Supplement and will not be listed with the rest of the key terms shown below.
9. Discuss the importance of intervertebral discs and spinal curvatures.
10. Identify three abnormal spinal curvatures.
11. Define fontanelle and discuss the function and fate of fontanelles.

Key Terms:
cartilage, bone, hyaline, elastic, fibrocartilage

long bones, short bones, flat bones, irregular bones, sesamoid bones, sutural bones

compact bone, spongy bone, trabeculae, diaphysis, medullary cavity (yellow bone
marrow cavity), epiphyses, epiphyseal line, epiphyseal plate, periosteum, endosteum,
hematopoietic tissue (red marrow)

inorganic calcium salts, collagen fibers

osteon (Haversian system), lamellae, central (Haversian) canal, perforating

(Volkmann's) canal, canaliculi, osteocytes, lacunae

cervical curvature, thoracic curvature, lumbar curvature, intervertebral discs

scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis

fontanelle

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 Part A: Overview of the Skeleton

Three Dimensional Model of Compact Bone

The model (see the following illustration) represents an osteon (Haversian system)
of compact bone with a cross section the size of this dot () magnified about 500
times. An osteon is an elongated cylinder oriented parallel to the long axis of the
bone.

The following structures in the central canal of the osteon serve the needs of the
cells:
1. artery 3. lymphatic vessel
2. vein 4. nerve

Locate the concentric lamellae of the osteon (e.g. # 5.) and the more irregular
interstitial lamellae between osteons (e.g. # 6).
Of what does a lamella consist?

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Cells are located in spaces between lamellae:
7. osteocyte
8. lacuna (pl. lacunae)

Adjacent osteocytes are joined to one another through hair-like canals:

9. canaliculus (pl. canaliculi)

Other canals, called perforating (Volkmanns) canals are perpendicular to the long
axis of the bone. They contain tiny blood vessels and nerves that connect the
blood vessels and nerves of the periosteum on the outside of the bone with the
central canals and the medullary cavity. Perforating canals are not represented on
the 3-dimensional model.

Microscopic structure of Compact Bone

Plate # in
Microscope Slide
Name of Tissue A Brief Atlas of
the Human Body
compact bone (osseous #16: Human Compact Bone 20
tissue) (demo slide)

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 Part B: Bones of the Human Skeleton: Axial Skeleton

This guide has been designed to enable you to use figures in A Brief Atlas
of the Human Body for the study of the bones of the skeleton.

This section of the study guide contains the lists of bones and landmarks for
the axial skeleton.

The insertion of an arrow bulleted point () in this study guide indicates a

clinical significance of the bony landmark. You will not be tested on the
clinical significances. They are included for your interest only.

IMPORTANT: When naming a feature on a bone, ALWAYS name the

feature and the bone. If you fail to do this on a quiz or lab test, you
will lose marks.

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 SKULL

There is a coloured model of the skull available in the lab that is helpful for
locating bones and sutures of the skull. Do not rely on the use of the coloured
skull however, as it is more likely that you will be tested with a non-coloured
model.

Figure 1: Skull: anterior view (p. 27)

frontal bone palpated to assess sinus infections

supraorbital margin of frontal bone maxillary bones (maxillae)
palpated to assess sinus infections sphenoid bone
coronal suture optic canal of sphenoid bone
parietal bone lacrimal bone
temporal bone ethmoid bone
mastoid process of temporal bone vomer
nasal bone mandible
zygomatic bone

Which of the bones in the above list form parts of the bony orbits (the
depressions in which the eyeballs are located)?
____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

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 Figure 2: Skull, right external view of lateral surface (p. 28)

frontal bone lambdoid suture

parietal bone (The bones joined by the lambdoid
coronal suture suture are the _________ and
(The bones joined by the coronal suture are ___________.)
the _________ and ___________.)
temporal bone sphenoid bone
external auditory meatus of temporal ethmoid bone
bone lacrimal bone
mastoid process of temporal bone lacrimal fossa of lacrimal bone
zygomatic process of temporal bone nasal bone
(The zygomatic process joins with a process zygomatic bone
of the zygomatic bone to form the maxillary bone (maxilla)
_____________ arch.) mandible
squamous suture ramus of mandible
(The bones joined by the squamous suture angle of mandible
are the _________ and ___________.) condylar process of mandible
occipital bone coronoid process of mandible
common site for pressure sores alveolar processes of mandible and
maxilla

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The above list contains three of the four sutures of the skull that you are required
to learn. On the superior surface of the skull, locate the sagittal suture, which
joins the two _______________ bones.
Once again, locate all four sutures. Which bones of the skull participate in forming
all four sutures? ________________ bones.

Label the sutures in the following diagram:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 4: Skull, external view of base (p. 30)

hard palate temporal bone

maxillary bone (maxilla) carotid canal of temporal bone
palatine bone jugular foramen of temporal bone
vomer occipital bone
sphenoid bone occipital condyles of occipital bone
foramen magnum of occipital bone

Consult your textbook, or a reference textbook in the lab to answer the following
questions:

What is the function of the occipital condyles?

What is the function of the carotid canals?

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 Figure 5: Skull, internal view of base (p. 31)

frontal bone temporal bone

frontal sinus jugular foramen of temporal bone
ethmoid bone zygomatic arch
sphenoid bone parietal bone
sella turcica of sphenoid bone occipital bone
optic canal of sphenoid bone foramen magnum of occipital bone

Consult your textbook, or a reference textbook in the lab to answer the following
questions:

What is the function of the optic canal?

____________________________________________________

What is the function of the jugular foramen?

____________________________________________________

What is the function of the foramen magnum?

__________________________________________________

What is the function of the sella turcica?

____________________________________________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 11: Mandible (p. 38)

condylar process of mandible angle of mandible

ramus of mandible body of mandible
coronoid process of mandible alveolar process of mandible

What is the only movable bone of the skull? ____________________

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 Figure 14: Bony orbit (p. 41)

frontal bone lacrimal bone

zygomatic bone lacrimal fossa of lacrimal bone
maxilla (maxillary bone) ethmoid bone
nasal bone (not part of the orbit) sphenoid bone
optic canal of sphenoid bone

Bones of the skull are classified as either cranial bones or facial bones. Put the
names of the bones of the skull into the correct category:

Facial bones: Cranial bones:

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 Figure 16: Fetal skull (p. 43)

frontal bone maxilla (maxillary bone)

temporal bone mandible
occipital bone frontal suture
parietal bone fontanelles

What is a fontanelle?

What is the importance of fontanelles in the fetal skull, and during early
childhood? (See p. 246 in your textbook.)

COLOUR-CODED SKULL AND CERVICAL SPINE MODEL

CAUTION! The cervical spine is very flexible and the skull may move, causing the
model to fall. Use this model at the study station only. Please do not move it
to any other location in the room.

Use this model to review bones and landmarks you located in the previous lists.
Some of the major features of the model are:

1. frontal bone 9. ethmoid bone

2. nasal bone 10. lacrimal bone
3. vomer 11. parietal bone
5. maxilla 12. temporal bone
6. mandible 13. occipital bone
7. zygomatic bone 14. palatine bone
8. sphenoid bone

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 VERTEBRAL COLUMN

Study the individual vertebrae (singular: vertebra) and examine the

vertebrae in the Colour-Coded Skull and Cervical Spine Model, the Coloured
Vertebral Column Model, and the articulated skeleton. Identify the features
in the following lists for Figures 17 to 22 in A Brief Atlas of the Human
Body.
Note how the vertebrae articulate (form joints) with one another, however,
they are separated by pads of fibrocartilage called intervertebral discs. These
discs absorb shocks and prevent compression.

Figure 17: Articulated vertebral column (pp. 44-45)

spinous processes
used to locate points for lumbar punctures and epidurals
transverse processes
intervertebral disc
intervertebral foramen

cervical curvature
thoracic curvature
lumbar curvature
sacrum
coccyx

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In the following figures, note the characteristic features of cervical, thoracic
and lumbar vertebrae, as well as those of the sacrum and coccyx.

Figure 18: Various views of vertebrae C1 and C2 (pp. 46-47)

atlas (C1)
axis (C2)
dens of axis
body of axis

Figure 19: Cervical vertebrae (pp. 48-49)

atlas bifid spinous process body

axis vertebral foramen superior articular facets
transverse process lamina inferior articular facets
transverse foramen pedicle

Name all of the surfaces of vertebrae that form joints with adjacent

vertebrae.

How many cervical vertebrae are there in the vertebral column?

Note the arteries located in the canal formed by the transverse foramina.
You will learn the names of these blood vessels in Biology 1221.

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 Figure 20: Thoracic vertebrae (pp. 50-51)

transverse process of thoracic vertebra body of thoracic vertebra

spinous process of thoracic vertebra
vertebral foramen of thoracic vertebra
lamina of thoracic vertebra
pedicle of thoracic vertebra
vertebral arch of thoracic vertebra
transverse costal facets
superior articular process of thoracic
vertebra
inferior articular process of thoracic
vertebra

How many thoracic vertebrae are there in the vertebral column? _____

The thoracic vertebrae are the only vertebrae that articulate (form joints)
with the ______________.

Figure 21: Lumbar vertebrae (pp. 52-53)

transverse process of lumbar vertebra body of lumbar vertebra

spinous process of lumbar vertebra
vertebral foramen of lumbar vertebra
lamina of lumbar vertebra
pedicle of lumbar vertebra
vertebral arch of lumbar vertebra
superior articular process of lumbar
vertebra
inferior articular process of lumbar
vertebra

How many lumbar vertebrae are there in the vertebral column? _____

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 Figure 22: Sacrum and coccyx (pp. 54-55)

the sacrum and coccyx are both common sites for pressure sores

body of sacrum anterior sacral foramina of sacrum

median sacral crest of sacrum sacral canal of sacrum
posterior sacral foramina of auricular surface of sacrum (sacroiliac joint)
sacrum

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THORACIC CAGE

Figure 23: Thoracic Cage (pp. 56-58)

sternum jugular (suprasternal) notch of sternum

manubrium of sternum clavicular notch of sternum
body of sternum true ribs
xiphoid process of sternum false ribs
sternal angle of sternum floating ribs
used to locate proper position for costal cartilage
CPR head of rib
used to count ribs (2nd rib joins neck of rib
sternum at the sternal angle) tubercle of rib

What is the difference between true ribs and false ribs?

Examine the articulated skeleton, and note the anterior rib joints with the
skeleton and the posterior rib joints with the vertebrae.

Review Exercises for the Axial Skeleton

Complete the Lab Manual Review Sheets for The Axial Skeleton.

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