THE SKELETAL SYSTEM: DID YOU KNOW…

10 Fun facts on the skeletal system: Did you know…

1) Bones consume nutrients.
2) The longest bone is the femur in the thigh. It makes up almost one quarter of the body’s total height!
3) Bones can rebuild themselves when broken.
4) The smallest bone is the stirrup deep in the ear. It is hardly longer then a grain of rice!
5) Accounting for approximately 20% of your body weight, the human skeleton is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.
6) There are four functions of the skeletal system; to protect soft vital internal organs, provide framework for attachment of muscles, permit motion by working together with muscles and to give the body a definite shape.
7) Bones use oxygen and give off waste.
8) The Achilles tendon is the largest, thickest, and strongest tendon in the body. Without it, we couldn’t run, walk, or jump!
9) Bones require a constant blood supply.
10) Fracture or broken bone? Although there are different types of fractures and broken bones, the terms mean the same thing!

Now it’s your turn! Can you tell me, what the most durable bone in the human body is?

*** Every minute, the average adult heart pumps about 5 litres of blood! Stay tuned for 10 facts on the Circulatory System!

THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM: DID YOU KNOW…

10 Fun facts on the muscular system: Did you know…

1. Muscles make up more then half your body weight. 
2. The smallest muscle in the human body is the stapedius, which is found in your middle ear.
3. Muscles can contract, pull, and relax, but they can’t push or stretch themselves. 
4. Your body is made up of approximately 696 muscles. 
5. The human body consists of 3 different kinds of muscles; Skeletal (voluntary), Smooth (involuntary), & Cardiac (heart).
6. The most powerful muscles in the body are those that run the length of the spine.
7. 85% of body heat is generated by muscle contractions. That’s why you shiver when too cold.  Your muscle fibers are working to ‘heat up’ your body temperature. 
8. The largest muscle in the human body is the gluteus maximus.
9. The longest muscle in the human body is the sartorius.
10. It takes over 200 muscles working together just to walk! 

Now, can you tell me, what the busiest muscles in the human body are? 

*** By the time you are 25 years old your total bone count is 206! Stay tuned for 10 facts on the Skeletal System!