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Human Body Study

Appendicular Skeleton

The bones of the limbs and the girdles that attach them to the axial skeleton — about 126 bones.

The skeleton A stylised whole-body skeleton showing the axial portion (skull, spine, ribs, sternum) and the appendicular portion (girdles and limbs). A separate joint-cross-section inset gathers the tissue-level subsystems — bone tissue, cartilage and ligaments — as they meet at a joint. Each label links to the article for that part. joint cross-section Axial skeleton Appendicular skeleton Joints Bone tissue Cartilage Ligaments The skeleton — axial vs appendicular bones, with a joint cross-section showing bone, cartilage and ligaments.

Parts

Section titled “Parts”
  • Pectoral (shoulder) girdle — clavicle and scapula; anchors the arms.
  • Upper limbs — the arm, forearm, wrist, and hand bones.
  • Pelvic girdle — the hip bones; anchors the legs and bears body weight.
  • Lower limbs — the thigh, leg, ankle, and foot bones.

What it does

Section titled “What it does”
  • Enables movement and manipulation of the environment.
  • Bears and transfers body weight through the lower limbs and pelvis.

Key idea

Section titled “Key idea”

The appendicular skeleton is built for mobility, while its girdles trade some range of motion for the stability needed to connect the limbs to the core.