HUMAN
SKELETON
Name: ________________________________________
Grade 11
,Different kinds of skeletons
Hydrostatic skeleton: - Consists of fluid held under pressure in a closed body.
Found in soft bodied invertebrates.
E.g. Annelids, Cnidaria, Nematodes etc.
Exoskeleton:- External skeleton that supports and protects an animal’s body.
E.g. Arthropods
Endoskeleton:- Internal skeleton on the inside of the animal’s body and is made of
bone and/or cartilage.
E.g. Vertebrates
Page 2 of 27
, Skeletal system composition
The skeletal system (skeleton) of humans consists of:
▪ All of the bones in the body which are made of bone tissue.
▪ Cartilage that surrounds bones and connects bone to bone and allows for
strength, flexibility. Three types of cartilage: hyaline, elastic and fibrous cartilage.
All have the basic components:
- chondrocytes (mature cartilage cells) in lacunae (cavities) surrounded by a
matrix made up of a jelly-like substance with fibres made of collagen and
elastic.
Cartilage is important as it lines the joints to facilitate smooth movement, act as a
shock absorber (between vertebrae) and form flexible structures (e.g. epiglottis).
Page 3 of 27
SKELETON
Name: ________________________________________
Grade 11
,Different kinds of skeletons
Hydrostatic skeleton: - Consists of fluid held under pressure in a closed body.
Found in soft bodied invertebrates.
E.g. Annelids, Cnidaria, Nematodes etc.
Exoskeleton:- External skeleton that supports and protects an animal’s body.
E.g. Arthropods
Endoskeleton:- Internal skeleton on the inside of the animal’s body and is made of
bone and/or cartilage.
E.g. Vertebrates
Page 2 of 27
, Skeletal system composition
The skeletal system (skeleton) of humans consists of:
▪ All of the bones in the body which are made of bone tissue.
▪ Cartilage that surrounds bones and connects bone to bone and allows for
strength, flexibility. Three types of cartilage: hyaline, elastic and fibrous cartilage.
All have the basic components:
- chondrocytes (mature cartilage cells) in lacunae (cavities) surrounded by a
matrix made up of a jelly-like substance with fibres made of collagen and
elastic.
Cartilage is important as it lines the joints to facilitate smooth movement, act as a
shock absorber (between vertebrae) and form flexible structures (e.g. epiglottis).
Page 3 of 27
