Anatomy

Human anatomy: the bones of the skeleton

A clear, referenced guide to the bones of the human body — where each one is, what it does, the joints it forms and the injuries that affect it. 47 bones and growing toward the full skeleton of 206.

Arm

Humerus (Upper Arm Bone)The humerus is the long bone of the upper arm, running from the shoulder to the elbow. It … Radius (Forearm Bone)The radius is one of the two forearm bones, on the thumb side. It is the main bone involve… Ulna (Forearm Bone)The ulna is one of the two forearm bones, on the little-finger side. It forms the main hin…

Chest

Clavicle (Collarbone)The clavicle, or collarbone, is the S-shaped bone at the top of the chest connecting the a… Scapula (Shoulder Blade)The scapula, or shoulder blade, is the flat, triangular bone at the back of the shoulder. … Sternum (Breastbone)The sternum, or breastbone, is the flat bone in the centre of the chest. The ribs attach t… RibsThe ribs are the 24 curved bones (12 pairs) that form the cage around the chest. They prot…

Foot

Calcaneus (Heel Bone)The calcaneus is the heel bone — the largest bone in the foot. It forms the heel, bears bo… Talus (Ankle Bone)The talus is the bone that forms the lower part of the ankle joint, sitting between the le… Phalanges (Toe Bones)The phalanges of the foot are the toe bones — 14 in each foot. The big toe has two and eac… Metatarsal Bones (Midfoot)The metatarsals are the five long bones of the midfoot, connecting the ankle bones to the … Navicular Bone (Foot)The navicular is a boat-shaped bone in the midfoot that helps form the arch of the foot an…

Hand

Carpal Bones (Wrist)The carpals are the eight small bones of the wrist, arranged in two rows. They give the wr… Metacarpal Bones (Palm)The metacarpals are the five long bones that form the palm of the hand, connecting the wri… Phalanges (Finger Bones)The phalanges are the bones of the fingers and thumb — 14 in each hand. Each finger has th… Scaphoid BoneThe scaphoid is one of the eight wrist bones, on the thumb side. It is the wrist bone most…

Leg

Femur (Thigh Bone)The femur is the thigh bone — the longest, strongest bone in the human body. It runs from … Tibia (Shin Bone)The tibia, or shin bone, is the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. It bears most of… Fibula (Calf Bone)The fibula is the thinner of the two lower-leg bones, on the outer side of the calf. It ca… Patella (Kneecap)The patella, or kneecap, is the small bone at the front of the knee. It sits within the th…

Pelvis

Pelvis (Hip Bones)The pelvis is the ring of bone at the base of the spine that connects the trunk to the leg… Ilium (Hip Blade)The ilium is the large, fan-shaped upper part of each hip bone — the bit you rest your han… IschiumThe ischium is the lower, back part of each hip bone — the "sitting bone" you rest on when… Pubis (Pubic Bone)The pubis is the front part of each hip bone. The two pubic bones meet at the front of the…

Skull

Cranium (Skull)The cranium is the skull — the set of bones that surround and protect the brain and form t… Mandible (Lower Jaw)The mandible is the lower jaw — the largest, strongest bone of the face and the only skull… Frontal Bone (Forehead)The frontal bone forms the forehead and the upper part of the eye sockets. It protects the… Temporal BoneThe temporal bones sit at the sides and base of the skull, around the ears. They protect t… Occipital BoneThe occipital bone forms the back and base of the skull. It has a large hole through which… Maxilla (Upper Jaw)The maxilla is the upper jaw. It holds the upper teeth, forms the roof of the mouth and th… Hyoid BoneThe hyoid is a small U-shaped bone in the neck that supports the tongue and helps with swa… Parietal BoneThe two parietal bones form most of the top and sides of the skull. Together they make up … Sphenoid BoneThe sphenoid is a butterfly-shaped bone at the base of the skull that helps hold the whole… Zygomatic Bone (Cheekbone)The zygomatic bones are the cheekbones. They give the face its shape, form part of the eye… Nasal BonesThe nasal bones are two small bones that form the bridge of the nose. The lower part of th… Ethmoid BoneThe ethmoid is a small, delicate, sponge-like bone between the eyes. It forms part of the … VomerThe vomer is a thin, flat bone that forms the lower part of the nasal septum — the wall di… Palatine BoneThe palatine bones form the back of the roof of the mouth (hard palate) and parts of the n… Ear Ossicles (Malleus, Incus, Stapes)The ear ossicles are three tiny bones in the middle ear — the malleus (hammer), incus (anv…

Spine

Vertebral Column (Spine)The vertebral column, or spine, is the stack of 33 bones (vertebrae) running down the back… SacrumThe sacrum is a large triangular bone at the base of the spine, formed from five fused ver… Coccyx (Tailbone)The coccyx, or tailbone, is the small bone at the very bottom of the spine, formed from a … Atlas (C1 Vertebra)The atlas is the top vertebra of the spine, which the skull sits on. It is named after the… Axis (C2 Vertebra)The axis is the second vertebra of the spine. It has a peg that the atlas above pivots aro… Cervical Vertebrae (Neck)The cervical vertebrae are the seven bones of the neck. They support the head, allow it to… Thoracic Vertebrae (Mid-back)The thoracic vertebrae are the twelve bones of the mid-back that the ribs attach to. They … Lumbar Vertebrae (Lower Back)The lumbar vertebrae are the five large bones of the lower back. They bear much of the bod…

See also

Interactive body explorer → · Organs of the body · Muscles · Nerves · Blood vessels · Body systems · Conditions A–Z

About this anatomy reference

The adult human skeleton has 206 bones, from the tiny bones of the inner ear to the mighty femur. This growing reference explains each bone in plain English: what it is, where it sits, what job it does, the joints it forms and the injuries and conditions that affect it — written to be useful whether you are a patient, a student or simply curious. It is educational reference only and does not replace assessment by a health professional.

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