What type of bones are phalanges

They consist primarily of spongy bone, which is covered by a thin layer of compact bone. Short bones include the bones of the wrist and ankle. Flat bones are thin, flattened, and usually curved. Most of the bones of the cranium are flat bones. The carpals in the wrist scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, hamate, pisiform, capitate, trapezoid, and trapezium and the tarsals in the ankles calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, lateral cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform, and medial cuneiform are examples of short bones.

Irregular bones vary in shape and structure and therefore do not fit into any other category flat, short, long, or sesamoid. They often have a fairly complex shape, which helps protect internal organs.

For example, the vertebrae, irregular bones of the vertebral column, protect the spinal cord. The irregular bones of the pelvis pubis, ilium, and ischium protect organs in the pelvic cavity. Sesamoid bones are bones embedded in tendons. These small, round bones are commonly found in the tendons of the hands, knees, and feet. Sesamoid bones function to protect tendons from stress and wear. The patella, commonly referred to as the kneecap, is an example of a sesamoid bone.

See more from our free eBook library. A description of types of bones from the edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body. The sesamoid bones protect tendons by helping them overcome compressive forces. Sesamoid bones vary in number and placement from person to person but are typically found in tendons associated with the feet, hands, and knees.

Figure reviews bone classifications with their associated features, functions, and examples. Bones can be classified according to their shapes.

Long bones, such as the femur, are longer than they are wide. Short bones, such as the carpals, are approximately equal in length, width, and thickness.

Flat bones are thin, but are often curved, such as the ribs. Irregular bones such as those of the face have no characteristic shape. Sesamoid bones, such as the patellae, are small and round, and are located in tendons. What are the structural and functional differences between a tarsal and a metatarsal? Structurally, a tarsal is a short bone, meaning its length, width, and thickness are about equal, while a metatarsal is a long bone whose length is greater than its width.

A short bone is one that is cube-like in shape, being approximately equal in length, width, and thickness. The only short bones in the human skeleton are in the carpals of the wrists and the tarsals of the ankles. Short bones provide stability and support as well as some limited motion. Examples include the cranial skull bones, the scapulae shoulder blades , the sternum breastbone , and the ribs. Flat bones serve as points of attachment for muscles and often protect internal organs.

An irregular bone is one that does not have any easily characterized shape and therefore does not fit any other classification. These bones tend to have more complex shapes, like the vertebrae that support the spinal cord and protect it from compressive forces.

Many facial bones, particularly the ones containing sinuses, are classified as irregular bones. A sesamoid bone is a small, round bone that, as the name suggests, is shaped like a sesame seed. These bones form in tendons the sheaths of tissue that connect bones to muscles where a great deal of pressure is generated in a joint. The sesamoid bones protect tendons by helping them overcome compressive forces.

Sesamoid bones vary in number and placement from person to person but are typically found in tendons associated with the feet, hands, and knees. Table 6. Bone tissue osseous tissue differs greatly from other tissues in the body. Bone is hard and many of its functions depend on that characteristic hardness. Later discussions in this chapter will show that bone is also dynamic in that its shape adjusts to accommodate stresses.

This section will examine the gross anatomy of bone first and then move on to its histology. The structure of a long bone allows for the best visualization of all of the parts of a bone Figure 6. A long bone has two parts: the diaphysis and the epiphysis. The diaphysis is the tubular shaft that runs between the proximal and distal ends of the bone.