Axial Skeleton
Explore the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage that form the body's protective central axis.
The body's central axis
The axial skeleton forms the central axis of the body. It includes the skull, the vertebral column, and the thoracic cage, and its main job is to protect the brain, spinal cord, and organs of the chest.
The axial skeleton, highlighted
The axial skeleton includes 80 bones: the skull, the hyoid bone, the vertebral column, and the thoracic cage.
Cranium and face
The skull is made up of cranial bones that enclose the brain and facial bones that shape the face.
The spine
A stack of 33 vertebrae surrounds and protects the spinal cord while supporting the body's weight.
Ribs and sternum
The ribs and sternum form a protective cage around the heart and lungs.
A floating bone
The U-shaped hyoid bone in the neck is unique because it does not directly connect to any other bone.
Following the spine
The vertebral column is organized into five regions, each with a different number and shape of vertebrae suited to its role.
Why the axial skeleton matters
Because the axial skeleton surrounds the central nervous system and the organs of the chest, injuries to it can be especially serious, which is part of why it is built from some of the body's sturdiest bone structures.
Protection is the axial skeleton's primary role.
While the appendicular skeleton is built for movement, the axial skeleton is built first and foremost to protect the structures it surrounds.