Types of skeletons
Hydro skeletons
Fluid filled cavity surrounded by muscle
Provides support against which muscles can contract
Pressure from fluid and muscle contractions change animals shape
and bring about movement
Invertebrate animals with soft bodies (jellyfish)
Advantages
Don’t need special support system as they usually live-in water
Disadvantages
Can’t preform fast movements
Can only occur in aquatic or moist environments
Limit’s size
No large degree of protection
Exoskeleton
External / outside of body
Occurs in invertebrate animals (largest group of arthropods)
Consists of polysaccharide and chitin (sometimes hardens)
Advantages
Supports and protects tissue and organs
Attachment for muscles (fast movement)
Joints for movement is where exoskeleton is thin and flexible
Prevents desiccation (drying out)
Disadvantages
Limit’s size (the larger they grow the heavier the skeleton gets
limiting movement)
Limits growth as chitin does not expand (animals cans shed but new
one is weak)
Impermeable to gasses so they have respiratory organs with
openings for respiration
Endoskeleton
Internal
Consists of bone and cartilage
, Advantages
Living bone and cartilage grow with organism
Protects important organs
Structured support and shape
Attachment of muscles for movement
Joints between bones make the body flexible
Disadvantages
Vulnerable to desiccation (drying out)
Important
Vertebra animals: vertebral column meaning they have an
internal skeleton consisting of bone and cartilage
Invertebrate animals: do not have vertebral columns which
means they have no internal skeletons
Human skeleton
Functions
Hydro skeletons
Fluid filled cavity surrounded by muscle
Provides support against which muscles can contract
Pressure from fluid and muscle contractions change animals shape
and bring about movement
Invertebrate animals with soft bodies (jellyfish)
Advantages
Don’t need special support system as they usually live-in water
Disadvantages
Can’t preform fast movements
Can only occur in aquatic or moist environments
Limit’s size
No large degree of protection
Exoskeleton
External / outside of body
Occurs in invertebrate animals (largest group of arthropods)
Consists of polysaccharide and chitin (sometimes hardens)
Advantages
Supports and protects tissue and organs
Attachment for muscles (fast movement)
Joints for movement is where exoskeleton is thin and flexible
Prevents desiccation (drying out)
Disadvantages
Limit’s size (the larger they grow the heavier the skeleton gets
limiting movement)
Limits growth as chitin does not expand (animals cans shed but new
one is weak)
Impermeable to gasses so they have respiratory organs with
openings for respiration
Endoskeleton
Internal
Consists of bone and cartilage
, Advantages
Living bone and cartilage grow with organism
Protects important organs
Structured support and shape
Attachment of muscles for movement
Joints between bones make the body flexible
Disadvantages
Vulnerable to desiccation (drying out)
Important
Vertebra animals: vertebral column meaning they have an
internal skeleton consisting of bone and cartilage
Invertebrate animals: do not have vertebral columns which
means they have no internal skeletons
Human skeleton
Functions
