Classification of Bones
Overview
- The SEER Training Website is a resource for oncology data specialists and cancer registration trainees.
- The module is part of the Anatomy & Physiology section, focusing on the skeletal system.
Types of Bones
The human body contains four principal types of bones:
Long Bones
- Characteristics: Longer than they are wide.
- Structure: Composed mainly of compact bone with spongy bone at the extremities.
- Examples: Bones of the thigh, leg, arm, and forearm.
Short Bones
- Characteristics: Cube-shaped; roughly equal dimensions in vertical and horizontal directions.
- Structure: Primarily spongy bone, covered by a thin layer of compact bone.
- Examples: Bones of the wrist and ankle.
Flat Bones
- Characteristics: Thin, flattened, and often curved.
- Examples: Most of the bones of the cranium.
Irregular Bones
- Characteristics: Do not fit into the above categories.
- Structure: Primarily spongy bone with a thin layer of compact bone.
- Examples: Vertebrae and some skull bones.
Bone Surface Markings
- Bones have unique surface markings such as holes, depressions, smooth facets, lines, and projections.
- These markings serve as passageways for vessels and nerves, articulation points with other bones, or attachment points for tendons and ligaments.
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