Question

The number of bones in the human body is
A. 206
B. 205
C. 306
D. 305

Answer 1

Hint: The human skeleton refers to the internal framework of the body. It consists of 270 to 300 bones at birth. But this total number of bones decreases to 206 bones by adulthood as some bones fuse together. There are 80 bones in the axial skeleton and 126 bones in the appendicular skeleton.

Complete answer:
The human skeleton of an adult consists of 206. It is composed of 270 bones at birth. This number later decreases to 80 bones in the axial skeleton and 126 bones in the appendicular skeleton. Many small accessory bones are not included in this count such as some sesamoid bones.
There are 20 major bones in the human skeleton.

The 206 bones in the human skeleton include-
Skull – including the jaw bone
Spine – cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, sacrum and tailbone (coccyx)
Chest – ribs, and breastbone (sternum)
Arms – shoulder blade (scapula), collar bone (clavicle), humerus, radius, and ulna
Hands – wrist bones (carpals), metacarpals, and phalanges
Pelvis – hip bones
Legs – thigh bone (femur), the kneecap (patella), shin bone (tibia), and fibula
Feet – tarsals, metatarsals, and phalanges.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: Humans may have 300 bones at birth but it decreases in adult age. As human ages, its bones fuse. This process typically lasts until sometime within the third decade of life. Therefore, the number of bones in an individual are evaluated differently throughout their life. However, the bones of the skull and face are always counted as separate bones, despite being fused naturally.