Definition

1. Noun:
   • The hard internal framework of an animal body: The skeletal system is the complete structure of bones and cartilages that supports and protects the body's soft tissues and organs, provides attachment points for muscles to enable movement, and produces blood cells.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The human skeletal system consists of 206 bones.
  • A healthy diet is important for maintaining a strong skeletal system.
  • The museum displayed the skeletal system of a dinosaur.

Advanced Usage

• "to study the skeletal system": to learn about the structure and function of bones.
  • In biology class, we studied the skeletal system of vertebrates.
• "development of the skeletal system": referring to how the bones grow and form.
  • Calcium is crucial for the proper development of a child's skeletal system.

Variants and Related Words

• Skeleton (n): The structure of bones supporting a body. Often used interchangeably with "skeletal system," though "skeleton" can refer to the structure itself, while "skeletal system" emphasizes the functional, biological system.
  • The archeologists found an ancient human skeleton.
• Musculoskeletal system (n): The combined system of the body's muscles and skeleton, which work together for movement.
  • Injuries can affect the entire musculoskeletal system.

Synonyms

• Skeleton: The bony framework of the body.
• Bone structure: The arrangement and system of bones.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Axial skeleton: The part of the skeleton that includes the skull, vertebral column, and rib cage.
  • The axial skeleton protects the brain, spinal cord, and thoracic organs.
• Appendicular skeleton: The part of the skeleton that includes the bones of the limbs and the girdles that attach them to the axial skeleton.
  • The appendicular skeleton is primarily involved in movement.
• Bone marrow: The soft tissue inside bones, part of the skeletal system, responsible for blood cell production.
  • The skeletal system includes bone marrow, which produces red blood cells.

Noun

1. the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal