Interesting Facts About Bones For Kids

Are you ready to uncover some amazing facts about bones and the incredible human skeletal system? It’s fascinating to know that our body is made up of 206 bones, each with its own unique shape and size. Bones play a vital role in supporting our body weight, protecting our vital organs, and enabling us to move. However, bones are not just passive structures but are also living tissues that undergo a continuous process of growth and renewal. In fact, they even produce red and white blood cells and store essential minerals like calcium. Let’s explore the fascinating world of bones together and uncover all the incredible bone facts for kids, including their amazing functions and adaptations in our skeletal system!

What are Bones?

A bone is a rigid organ that primarily serves the function of structure and support to the human body. Though light in weight, it can bear the body weight and help in the swift movement of various parts. Being protective, it safeguards various other organs, produces required blood cells, stores minerals, and enables effortless mobility. Vital organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs are under the safe custody of bones. Be it skull, ribs, or spine the bones protect these parts from any severe accidents or injuries. We realize how hard it is to move our hands only when we get a fracture, not otherwise. That is how effortless they make us work. Intrigued by its functionality already? Well, embrace yourselves as this is just the beginning. 

The first doubt is always regarding whether they are living or not. Despite initial impressions, bones are active, living tissues that undergo constant remodelling. Accounting for about 15 per cent of the body weight, bones are an integral part of the skeleton system. Quick question, what are bones made of? Bones are composed chiefly of collagen, calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate. While collagen is the growing tissue that provides the framework, it is a calcium phosphate that adds to the strength and hardness. Bones play an important role in maintaining calcium balance in the blood. It ensures that there is constant renewal and replacement of old bone tissues with new ones. Bones and muscles, and joints are responsible for the seemingly easy agility we possess. All of this together constitutes the musculoskeletal system. A balanced diet in addition to regular exercise and lifestyle is essential for a healthy bone. Weight-bearing activities such as walking and running are also beneficial. 

Layers of Bones

Now that we know what a bone is let us learn a little deeper. The bone consists of four layers, and these are :

1. Periosteum – This is the dense outermost layer of the bone that consists of a thin membrane with nerves and blood vessels.

2. Compact (cortical) or dense tissue – It is the outer dense or compact layer that protects the tissue within. It makes up around 80 per cent of adult bone mass. 

3. Spongy or cancellous tissue – It is the porous, honeycombed material found inside most bones, which allows the bone to be strong yet lightweight. Lying within the compact tissue, it is firm but less hard than the dense one. 

4. Bone marrow – It is the innermost layer of the bone and is well protected by spongy tissue. It has a jelly-like appearance and is the place where blood cells are produced. The bone marrow is responsible for the production of three types of blood cells, namely red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. While RBCs carry oxygen all around the body, WBCs, provide immunity and platelets aid in clotting.

Types of Bones

You might think bones are just of a single size and shape, but they are not. As versatile as they are in functionality, so are they in their appearance. Classification of bones can be broadly done under four headings. 

1. Long bones

These are long and thin in shape. The major function is to act as a lever during bodily movements. Examples of such bones include those in the arms, legs, and collar bones. Wrists, ankles, and kneecaps are excluded. Being long than wide, these bones resemble a shaft.

2. Short bones 

Short bones are just about wide as they are long and consist of spongy bone surrounded by compact bone. It has a cubed shape. The human body consists of 32 short bones, and they enable movements of complex joints by sliding and shifting. Examples are wrist bones, ankle bones, and kneecaps.

3. Flat bones

Having flattened, broad surface flat bones is crucial for structuring and foundation. The shape of the torso, shoulder blade, etc. comes under this category. It resembles in composition the short bones. These also ensure the protection of delicate tissues underneath. 

4. Irregular bones 

Bones that are neither long, short, or flat come under this classification. The shape is determined by their unique requirements as a result of which they tend to have a complex structure. Facial bones, bones in the spinal column, etc. are major examples.

How Do Bones Grow?

Bone growth is one phenomenon that has caught both parents and children off-guard. Most of us presume it is genetics, but it is not so. Consistent and healthy habits can facilitate healthy bone growth. Before we get to the habits, let us have a brief idea of how bones grow. 

When we are born, we have 300 bones. That is approximately 100 more than the normal 206. What causes this reduction? How does bone growth affect the rate of our growth? Well, babies have bones that are partly made with cartilage. Cartilage is a soft tissue as in the tip of our ears. As the baby grows, the cartilage grows too. Eventually, it gets replaced with calcium that imparts a rigid structure. This process is called ossification. Layers of calcium and phosphate molecules deposit themselves on the cartilage cells. Once the deposition is complete, cartilage cells die, leaving small pockets behind. This causes the bone to grow bigger and the child to grow taller. This process continues until all the cartilage has been replaced, and this usually occurs till the mid-twenties. Most of that growth does not take place. However, they are still capable of repair in case of fractures or other injuries. 

Other Facts about Bones for Children

Do you have a feeling that bones are even more amazing? Curious to learn more? hen, here are a few facts that will interest you :

1. The more the merrier, but where?

More than half of all the bones in the human body are in the hands and feet. That is quite so much, right?

2. Which is the longest? Is it in the arm or the leg?

The longest bone in your body is the femur or the thigh bone. The average adult male femur is 48 centimetres. 

3. There are you the smallest one?

Stapes is the smallest bone in your body. It is a bone found in the middle ear and is just three millimetres long.

4. Can longest and strongest be the same?

Surprise! Yes! The longest and strongest bone in your body is the same; the thigh bone.

5. Guess how many in a minute?

Around 120 million red blood cells are created by the bone marrow in a minute.

6. One plus one is equal to joint!

When two or more are linked together it is called a joint. An example is the elbow joint that connects the upper and lower arms.

7. That breaks easily? glass or…

Toe bones are the most fragile in the body.

8. Interested in studying bones?

The scientific study of bones is called osteology and someone who studies osteology is called an osteologist.

9. Does healthy food enrich bone growth?

Yes, they do.  Foods like milk, cheese and other dairy products are sources of calcium which is the vital component of bones. More than 99 per cent of our body’s calcium is held in our bones and teeth. 

10. Is funny bone a bone?

No, it is not. When the elbow hits a certain way, the ulnar nerve is triggered. 

11. How is the brain, heart and lungs protected?

By bones, of course. Skull, ribs and the spine keep us the way we are.

12. Do bones fall sick?

Yes, they do. Osteoporosis is a common bone disease caused by low bone density and bone loss. Rickets, etc., are a few others.

13. How many are in the skull?

An adult human skull contains 22 bones, 8 cranial and 14 facial bones.

14. Which is the largest joint?

The largest joint in the human body is the knee.

15. Does growth happen always?

Bones grow and always regenerate till the last breath.

The human body never fails to amaze us, and it never will. It is possible to unravel interesting facts every day, yet we will never run short of it. Bones contribute to this mystery in their way and are strong participants, just like how they keep us strong and sturdy.

Also Read: 

Planet Earth Facts for Children
Human Body Facts for Kids
Science Facts for Children