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Anatomy & Physiology: Bone, Skeleton, Joints, and Muscle Review

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  • How many bones are in the adult human skeleton?

    206 bones.

  • Difference between compact and spongy bone

    Compact bone is dense, organized into osteons, forms the hard outer layer, and resists stress.

    Spongy bone has trabeculae with marrow-filled spaces, is lighter, and helps distribute forces.

  • Functions of bone tissue

    Support, protection, movement/leverage, mineral storage (calcium and phosphate), and blood cell formation in red marrow; yellow marrow stores fat.

  • Types of bone cells and their functions

    Osteocytes are mature bone cells in lacunae;

    osteoblasts build bone;

    osteoclasts break down bone.

  • Five bone shapes with examples

    Long (femur), short (carpals), flat (sternum), irregular (vertebra), sesamoid (patella).

  • Functional subunits of compact bone

    Osteons (Haversian systems) are the functional subunits of compact bone.

  • Central vs. perforating canals in bone

    Central canals run longitudinally through osteons carrying blood vessels and nerves; perforating (Volkmann’s) canals run transversely connecting central canals and periosteum.

  • What anchors the periosteum to bone?

    Perforating (Sharpey’s) fibers anchor the periosteum to the bone surface.

  • Types of lamellae in compact bone

    Circumferential lamellae wrap around bone circumference; concentric lamellae form rings around central canals; interstitial lamellae fill spaces between osteons.

  • What unique structures does spongy bone have?

    Trabeculae and marrow-filled spaces; it lacks typical osteons.

  • What connects lacunae in bone tissue?

    Canaliculi connect lacunae, allowing communication between osteocytes.

  • Components of the axial skeleton

    The skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage form the axial skeleton.

  • Number of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae

    Cervical: 7; Thoracic: 12; Lumbar: 5 vertebrae.

  • Distinguishing features of cervical vertebrae

    Small bodies, transverse foramina, often bifid spinous processes.

  • What are C1 and C2 vertebrae called and their special features?

    C1 is the atlas; C2 is the axis with the dens (odontoid process) allowing head rotation.

  • How many pairs of true, false, and floating ribs are there?

    7 pairs of true ribs, 5 pairs of false ribs, ribs 11–12 are floating ribs with no anterior attachment.

  • Difference between axial and appendicular skeleton

    Axial skeleton: skull, vertebral column, thoracic cage. Appendicular skeleton: pectoral and pelvic girdles plus limbs.

  • How to determine left vs. right scapula

    The glenoid cavity faces laterally; the spine is posterior.

  • Difference between radius and ulna

    Ulna is medial (pinky side); radius is lateral (thumb side) in anatomical position.

  • What bones form the pelvic girdle?

    Each hip bone forms from the ilium, ischium, and pubis.

  • Differences between male and female pelvis

    Female pelvis is wider, shallower, with larger pelvic inlet/outlet and wider subpubic angle; male pelvis is narrower and deeper.

  • What joint binds the two pubic bones?

    The pubic symphysis, a fibrocartilaginous joint.

  • Structural vs. functional joint classification

    Structural: fibrous, cartilaginous, synovial. Functional: synarthrosis (immovable), amphiarthrosis (slightly movable), diarthrosis (freely movable).

  • Do fibrous joints have a synovial cavity?

    No, fibrous joints lack a synovial cavity.

  • Three types of fibrous joints

    Sutures (immovable), syndesmoses (slight movement), gomphoses (tooth in socket, immovable).

  • Types of cartilaginous joints and cartilage types

    Synchondroses use hyaline cartilage (immovable); symphyses use fibrocartilage (slightly movable).

  • Do synovial joints have a fluid-filled cavity?

    Yes, synovial joints have a fluid-filled cavity and are freely movable.

  • Four major synovial joint movements and planes

    Flexion/extension (sagittal), abduction/adduction (frontal), rotation (transverse), circumduction (circular).

  • Six types of synovial joints with examples

    Plane/gliding (intercarpal), hinge (elbow), pivot (atlantoaxial), condyloid/ellipsoid (knuckles), saddle (thumb carpometacarpal), ball-and-socket (shoulder/hip).

  • What muscles make up the rotator cuff?

    Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.

  • Layers of connective tissue in muscle

    Epimysium surrounds whole muscle; perimysium surrounds fascicles; endomysium surrounds individual muscle fibers.

  • What is a fascicle?

    A bundle of skeletal muscle fibers.

  • Characteristic features of cardiac muscle

    Branched cells joined by intercalated discs; striated and involuntary.

  • What is the sarcolemma?

    The plasma membrane of a muscle fiber.

  • What stores and releases calcium ions in muscle contraction?

    The sarcoplasmic reticulum stores and releases calcium ions.

  • Smallest functional unit of a muscle fiber

    The sarcomere, from one Z disc to the next.

  • Basic steps of skeletal muscle contraction

    Motor neuron releases acetylcholine; action potential spreads along sarcolemma and T tubules; sarcoplasmic reticulum releases Ca²⁺; calcium binds troponin, exposing actin sites; myosin binds actin and contracts using ATP; calcium pumped back and muscle relaxes.