How Many Bones Are in the Human Body
How many bones are in the human body? Having strong and healthy bones is essential, especially if you want to have a good, strong body. They serve as the body’s shield to ensure that we get through physical activities. From the head to toe, there are hundreds of bones that are connected to each other. The total amount actually changes through time – from a baby to an adult, bone structure and the number of bones greatly vary. A normal adult will have 206 bones.
How Many Bones Are in the Human Body
When you stand or when you walk or do any physical activity, it’s your bones that give you that posture and the ability to move. As for the number of bones in the human body, they starts to develop from us being babies to adults.
For instance, babies have 270 bones, but as they start to grow, they’ll merge together. Apart from the number of bones, they also tend to grow.
Once you become an adult, you’ll have 206 bones. Half of these bones are actually found in your hands and feet.
Bones can actually be divided into two different skeletal systems – the first one is the axial skeleton which includes your main torso. The other, finer bones are in your limbs.
Bones are then classified into four different categories:
- Short bones – which strengthen your skeletal system
- Long bones – which are found in the lower part of your body and limbs
- Flat bones – which protect organs and muscles
- Irregular bones – which have an odd shape that does not fit in any other category.
Some might wonder how a person would look like without bones. Can you really think or imagine what you would look like if you just had muscle and skin?
The skeletal system actually gives you the shape to protect your body and it is where minerals are stored. That’s basically the reason why it’s essential that you take good care of your bones and make sure they’re healthy.
So what’s the best way for you to have good bone health?
Apart from taking care of yourself physically by regular exercise and avoiding highly-dangerous activities that can damage your body, you should also take in the necessary vitamins and minerals that are known to further strengthen bones.
For example, make sure that you have a high enough calcium intake. This is a mineral that helps strengthen bones and dairy products like cheese and milk contain calcium.
How Many Bones Are in the Foot
Our ability to walk or to do any other physical activity relies on the strength of our feet and ankles. The ankle is the foundation and it also works as a shock absorber.
Your feet, on the other hand, experiences pressure and gives flexibility.
Have you ever wondered how many bones are there in our feet?
Both the feet and ankle contain the following:
- 26 bones,
- 33 joints and
- about 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons.
This system in the foot and ankle is like a network of tissues, skin, nerves and blood vessels that are connected with each other. These components are connected in order to give you balance, strength and mobility.
Injuries or issues around this area can therefore lead to loss of mobility.
How Many Bones Are in the Hand
When you move your hands, your hands and your wrist gives you flexibility to move in different ways. And half of all your bones are actually found in your hand.
They have 8 carpal bones with 4 bones each, called the carpus bones which articulates with the radius and the ulna. There is also the metacarpal bone connected to the carpus and the ligaments.
There are 5 metacarpal bones. Every hand has 3 phalanges, too.
The bones play a vital role in the body. As you age, your bones start to lose density and may end up becoming thin. This increases your risk in having injuries.
There are ways to prevent osteopenia and other bone-related diseases, and the best way is to take care of your bone health.
First, eat foods that are rich in calcium, like tofu, almonds, soy milk and other dairy products.
You may also want to take calcium supplements if ever you cannot have the recommended daily intake of calcium. Aside from calcium, you also need 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D. It’s also strongly recommended that you have regular exercise, too.
Engage in different kinds of physical activities. You can go for different sports and exercise routines like tennis, basketball, aerobics, etc. These physical activities are known to build bones. Another important reminder is to avoid smoking and when you drink, drink in moderation.
Having bad habits like excessive drinking and smoking can result in loss of bone density.
By having a healthy and active lifestyle, you can strengthen your bones and have a healthier body. When you have strong bones, you can do any physical activity!
