5 FAQs about Bones in the Human Body

Want to swot up on some bone facts to impress your class? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled 5 frequently asked questions about bones in the human body, along with a set of spectacular KS2 teaching resources on skeletons, perfect for your primary science lessons. Bone appétit!

1. How many bones are in the human body?

A straightforward question with a vague answer of ‘just over 200’. Newborn babies have a mandible-dropping 300-or-so bones, and many of them begin to fuse together between the ages of 2 or 3. This process usually continues until we’re in our 20s and the final number of bones can vary from person to person — it’s usually around 206.

2. How many bones are in the ear?

There are three in each ear and they’re really small — the smallest bones in the body. You might hear them referred to as ossicles (not to be confused with ocelots). Sounds from the outer ear hit the eardrum and are then transmitted by the ossicles through the middle ear to the inner ear.

3. Are teeth bones?

Nope. Teeth are made up of layers of non-living tissue. The enamel (the hardest and outermost layer) is made from calcium phosphate and other hard minerals. As teeth are not living tissue, any significant damage will not heal.

Bones, however, are living tissue made up of a soft protein framework strengthened by calcium phosphate. The material within bones continually changes and if you’re unfortunate enough to break one they usually heal.

That’s why it’s important to look after your teeth, they're not going to repair themselves — although saying that, you should definitely take care of your bones too…

4. Are babies born without kneecaps?

Yes… and no. Babies are born with kneecaps but they’re made of cartilage so they’re soft and bendy. Having kneecaps that aren’t made of rigid bone reduces the risk of birth injuries and it may also help babies to crawl more easily. Between the ages of 2 and 6, the cartilage turns to bone.

5. Do bones do anything else useful?

Okay, maybe this isn’t a frequently asked question but it’s an interesting one nonetheless. Bones aren’t idle — along with doing the obvious job of providing our bodies with some shape and support, some bones also produce blood cells and can store fat and minerals. They’re pretty useful if you ask me.

KS2 Bones Teaching Resources:

Name the Bones PowerPoint

Introduce children to the bones in the human body or test which ones they already know. The choice is yours with this PowerPoint.

3D Skeleton Poster

What better way of exploring the human skeleton is there than recreating it using straws? That’s exactly what this activity offers. Plus, there’s an opportunity for children to conduct their own research and learn some interesting facts about the human skeleton.

If I Didn’t Have a Skeleton… Worksheet (Year 3)

This worksheet gets children to explore the three main functions of the human skeleton by imagining what life would be like without one…

Thanks for reading. I think I’ve managed to avoid too many classic bone puns — I really hope you weren’t expecting this tibia humerus blog. Sorry, can’t help it, it’s in my bones...