Bones of The Skeleton

The normal adult human body has approximately 206 bones. This includes the auditory ossicles and the patella, but excludes the small sesamoid bones.

The skeleton may be divided into the appendicular and the axial skeleton. The appendicular skeleton includes the bones of the upper and lower free extremities, the shoulder (pectoral girdle), and the pelvic girdle. The axial skeleton includes the bones of the skull, the vertebral column, the thoracic cage, the auditory ossicles, and the hyoid bone.