Term | Definition |
acetabulum | cup-shaped depression in the hip bone into which the top of the femur fits |
acromion | part of the scapula that connects to the clavicle |
amphiarthrosis (p.amphiarthoses) | cartilaginous joint having some movement at the union of two bones |
ankle | hinged area between the lower leg bones and the bones of the foot |
articular cartilage | cartilage at a joint |
articulation | point at which two bones join together to allow movement |
atlas | first cervical vertebra |
axis | second cervical vertebra |
bone | hard connective tissue that forms the skeleton of the body |
bone head | upper, rounded end of a bone |
bone phagocyte | bone cell that ingests dead bone & bone debris |
bursa (p.bursae) | sac lined with a synovial membrane that fills the spaces between tendons & joints |
calcaneus | heel bone |
calcium | mineral important in the formation of bone |
cancellous bone | spongy bone with a lattice like structure |
cardiac muscle | striated involuntary muscle of the heart |
carpus, carpal bone | wrist; wrist bone |
cartilage | flexible connective tissue found in joints, fetal skeleton, & the lining of various parts of the body |
cartilaginous disk | thick, circular mass of cartilage between the vertebrae of the spinal column |
cervical vertebrae | seven vertebrae of the spinal column located in the neck |
clavicle | curved bone of the shoulder that joins to the scapula; collar bone |
coccyx | small bone consisting of four fused vertebrae at the end of the spinal column; tailbone |
compact bone | hard bone with a tightly woven structure |
condyle | rounded surface at the end of a bone |
crest | bony ridge |
diaphysis | long middle section of a long bone; shaft |
diarthroses (s. diarthrosis) | freely movable joints |
disk | *see cartilaginous disk |
dorsal vertebrae | thoracic vertebrae |
elbow | joint between the upper arm & the forearm |
endosteum | lining of the medullary cavity |
epiphyseal plate | cartilaginous tissue that is replaced during growth years, but eventually calcifies & disappears when growth stops |
ethmoid bone | irregular bone of the face attached to the sphenoid |
ethmoid sinuses | sinuses on both sides of the nasal cavities between each eye & the sphenoid sinus |
fascia (p. fasciae) | sheet of fibrous tissue the encloses muscles |
femur | long bone of the thigh |
fibula | smallest long bone of the lower leg |
fissure | deep furrow or slit |
flat bones | thin, flatten bones that cover certain areas, as of the skull |
fontanelle | soft, membranous section on top of an infant's skull |
foramen | opening or perforation through a bone |
foramen magnum | opening in the occipital bone through which the spinal cord passes |
fossa (p. fossae) | depression, as in a bone |
frontal bone | large bone of the skull that forms the top of the head & the forehead |
frontal sinuses | sinuses above the eyes |
heel | back, rounded portion of the foot |
humerus | long bone of the arm connecting to the scapula on top & the radius & the ulna at the bottom |
ilium | wide portion of the hip bone |
insertion | point at which muscle attaches to a movable bone |
intervertebral disk | *see cartilaginous disk |
involuntary muscle | muscle not movable at all |
irregular bones | any of a group of bones with a special shape tot fit into certain areas of the skeleton, such as the skull |
ischium | one of three fused bones that form the pelvic girdle |
join | place of joining between tow or more bones |
lacrimal bone | thin, flat bone of the face |
lamina (p. laminae) | thin, flat part of either side of the arch of a vertebra |
ligament | sheet of fibrous tissue connecting & supporting bones; attaches bone to bone |
long bone | any bone of the extremities with a shaft |
lumbar vertebrae | five vertebrae of the lower back |
malleolus (p.malleoli) | rounded protrusion of the tibia or fibula on either side of the ankle |
mandible | u-shaped bone of the lower jaw |
mandibular bone | mandible |
marrow | connective tissue filling the medullary cavity, often rich in nutrients |
mastoid process | protrusion of the temporal bone that sits behind the ear |
maxillary sinus | sinus on either side of the nasal cavity below the eyes |
medullary cavity | soft center cavity in the bone that often holds marrow |
metacarpal | one of the five bones of the hand between the wrist and the fingers |
metaphysis | section of a long bone between the epiphysis & diaphysis |
metatarsal bones | bones of the foot between the instep (arch) & the toes |
muscle | contractile tissue that plays a major role in body movement |
musculoskeletal system | system of the body including the muscles & skeleton |
nasal bones | bones that form the bridge of the nose |
nasal cavity | cavity on either side of the nasal septum |
neural canal | space through which the spinal cord passes |
nucleus pulposus | fibrous mass in the center portion of the intervertebral disk |
occipital bone | bone that forms the lower back portion of the skull |
olecranon | curved end of the ulna to which tendons of the arm muscles attach; bony prominence of the elbow |
origin | point at which muscles attach to stationary bone |
osseous tissue | connective tissue into which calcium salts are deposited |
ossification | hardening into bone |
osteoblast | cell that forms bone |
osetoclast | large cell that reabsorbs & removes osseous tissue |
osteocyte | bone cell |
palatine bone | bone that helps form the hard palate & nasal cavity; located behind the maxillary bones |
parietal bone | flat, curved bone on either side of the upper part of the skull |
patella | large, sesamoid bone that forms the kneecap |
pelvic cavity | cup-shaped cavity formed by the large bones of the pelvic girdle; contains female reproductive organs, sigmoid colon, bladder, & rectum |
pelvic girdle | hip bones |
pelvis | cup-shaped ring of bone & ligaments at the base of the trunk |
periosteum | fibrous membrane covering the surface of bone |
phalanges (s. phalanx) | long bones of the fingers & toes |
phosphorus | mineral important to the formation of bone |
process | bony outgrowth or projection |
pubes | anteroinferior portion of the hip bone |
pubic symphysis | joint between the 2 pubic bones |
radius | shorter bone of the forearm |
rib | one of the 24 bones that form the chest wall |
sacrum | next-to-last spinal vertebra made up of five fused bones; vertebra that forms part of the pelvis |
scapula | large flat bone that forms the shoulder blade |
sella turcica | bony depression in the sphenoid bone where the pituitary gland is located |
sesamoid bone | bone formed in a tendon over a joint |
shin | anterior ridge of the tibia |
short bones | square-shaped bones with approximately equal dimensions on all sides |
sinus | hollow cavity, especially either of two cavities on the sides of the nose |
skeleton | bony framework of the body |
smooth muscle | fibrous muscle of internal organs that acts involuntarily |
sphenoid bone | bone that forms the base of the skull |
sphenoid sinus | sinus above & behind the nose |
spinal column | column of vertebrae at the posterior of the body, from the neck to the coccyx |
spinous process | protrusion from the center of the vertebral arch |
spongy bone | bone with an open latticework filled with connective tissue or marrow |
sternum | long, flat bone that forms the midline of the anterior of the thorax |
striated muscle | muscle with a ribbed appearance that controlled at will |
styloid process | peg-shaped protrusion from a bone |
sulcus (p. sulci) | groove or furrow in the surface of bone |
suture | joining of two bone parts with a fibrous membrane |
symphysis | type of cartilaginous joint uniting two bones |
synarthrosis | fibrous joint with no movement |
synovial fluid | fluid that serves to lubricate joints |
synovial joint | a joint that moves |
synovial membrane | connective tissue lining the cavity of joints & producing the synovial fluid |
tarsus, tarsal bones | seven bones of the instep (arch of the foot) |
temporal bone | large bone forming the base & sides of the skull |
temporomandibular joint | joint of the lower jaw between the temporal bone & the mandible |
tendon | fibrous band that connects muscle to bone or other structures |
thoracic vertebrae | 12 vertebrae of the chest area |
thorax | part of the trunk between the neck & the abdomen; chest |
tibia | larger of the two lower leg bones |
transverse process | protrusion on either side of the vertebral arch |
trochanter | bony protrusion at the upper end of the femur |
true ribs | seven upper ribs of the chest that attach to the sternum |
tubercle | slight bony elevation to which a ligament or muscle may be attached |
tuberosity | large elevation in the surface of a bone |
ulna | larger bone of the forearm |
vertebra (p. vertebrae) | one of the bony segments of the spinal column |
vertebral body | main portion of the vertebra, separate from the arches of the vertebra |
vertebral column | spinal column |
visceral muscle | smooth muscle |
vitamin D | vitamin important to the formation of bone |
voluntary muscle | striated muscle |
vomer | flat bone forming the nasal septum |
zygomatic bone | bone that forms the cheek |