When a baby is born, it has 270 bones, but most of these bones are cartilage. As the child grows, a number of these bones fuse together until over time, the number of bones decreases to 206, making up its adult skeleton. The human skeleton is divided into two types of bone: the axial and the appendicular.
The axial skeleton is composed of the 80 bones of the spine, chest, and head.
The spine, or vertebral column, include seven cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, five lumbar vertebrae, and the sacrum, which is composed of five bones at birth, but later fuses into one.
There is one bone in the sternum and 24 ribs (in 12 pairs).
The head contains 29 bones. The skull has 23: eight cranial and 15 facial, and six bones found in the middle ear (three on each side).
The appendicular skeleton is composed of the 126 bones of the arms and legs, including the shoulder and pelvic girdles.
Each arm has a total of 32 bones, this includes the 28 bones that make up the phalanges (fingers) of the hand.
The pelvis includes the pelvic girdle, the sacrum, and the coccyx (often referred to as the tail bone).
Each leg has a total of 8 bones, each foot has 26 bones, and 14 bones make up the phalanges (toes) of each foot.
The skeleton performs six major functions—support, movement, protection, production of blood cells, storage of minerals, and endocrine regulation.
The most common issue with bone is low bone density, leading to osteopenia which makes the bones brittle or osteoporosis which thins and weakens the bones, resulting in sudden factures. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that can affect breathing and movement, and causes pain that worsens with age. Osteoarthritis can affect the bones, and in severe cases can result in bone-on-bone contact between the joints. Cancer can also be found in the bones. The most common are the following:
Osteosarcoma—most commonly in the leg or arm bones in both children and young adults, Chondrosarcoma—most commonly in the pelvis, legs or arms of middle-aged and older adults, and Ewing sarcoma—most commonly in the pelvis, legs, or arms of children and young adults.
So how can we protect our bones so that they will function at top efficiency in the way God intended?
- A calcium-rich diet (1,000-1,200 milligrams daily), that also includes magnesium, zinc, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Eat lots of vegetables. They are one of the best sources for vitamin C, which stimulates the production of bone-forming cells.
- Vitamin D (400-1,000 IU daily) helps the body absorb calcium into the bones, and vitamin K2 helps prevent the loss of calcium from the bones.
- Strength training and weight-bearing exercise like walking.
- Consume an adequate amount of protein.
- Maintain a stable, healthy weight.
- Follow God’s Eight Laws of Health.
Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bones_of_the_human_skeleton; healthline.com/build-healthy-bones; medicalnewstoday.com/articles/bone-one-bone-arthritis; medlineplus.gov/bonediseases.html