The Skeleton

1. The bones form the skeleton of the body. The most important part of the skeleton is the backbone. It is so important that naturalists divid­ed all animals into two classes - those which have a backbone and those which have none. All the higher animals have a backbone, or vertebral column and they are therefore called (называются) vertebrate animals. The others are called invertebrate animals.

2. The bones which form the skeleton or bony framework of the body include the bones of the head, the bones of the trunk, the bones of the lower and upper limbs.

3. At the upper end of the backbone there is the skull. Inside the skull is the brain. The bones of the head include the bones which make up the box-like structure, the skull, and freely movable bone which forms our lower jaw.

4. There is another box of bones in front of the backbone. The ribs, which join the backbone behind and bend round towards the breastbone in front, form a strong cage - the chest, inside of which there is the

48 ♦ Learning to Understand a Medical Text

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Skull

Clavicle

Sternum Humerus Ribs

Ulna Radius

Phalanges

Femur

Patella

Tibia Fibula

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Fig. 1. Skeleton.

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