A vertebrate is an animal with an internal backbone. The bones of a backbone are called vertebrae
Birds, cats, dogs, dinosaurs and you have backbones.
Did You Know?
Most mammals have seven vertebrae in their neck.
This means that you and a giraffe have the same number of neck vertebrae.
Vertebrae are just part of the bones in animals. Together, all the bones connect forming a framework called the SKELETON.
Did You Know?
Three bones in the wings of birds and your arm have similar shapes. When things are similar, they are said to be homologous.
So, we can say that you and birds have three homologous bones. Since these bones are alike in they have been given the same names.
The diagrams show the location of these homologous bones.
A. Humerus B. Radius C. Ulna
Like the bones of a skeleton, the shape, size, and composition of materials used in the “skeleton” or frame of a building affect its strength.
Prosthetic Engineers design and test prosthetic limbs before they are constructed for people. Their job includes researching the forces that will affect the structure, then developing a design that allows it to withstand these forces.
Prosthetic Engineers make models to test the strength of a prosthetic. You can perform a simple test to determine the strength of bones, such as thigh bone, that are shaped like a tube. For instructions, see Testing the Strength of a Thigh Bone Model.