Okuzeka
Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Bones and the Skeleton

Bone

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/boʊn/nounCore term

In anatomy & physiology, bone means: The hard, living tissue that forms the skeleton, and each organ made of it. Bones support the body, protect organs, store calcium and contain the marrow that makes blood cells.

In Turkish: kemik

How it is used

Bones are classified as long, short, flat or irregular. Common phrases include bone marrow, bone density and a broken bone, although doctors say fracture. Related adjectives are bony and, in technical words, osseous or osteo-.

Example sentences

  1. The femur is the longest bone in the body.

  2. Red bone marrow in flat bones produces blood cells.

Common collocations

  • long bone
  • flat bone
  • bone marrow
  • bone density
  • broken bone
  • skeletonThe framework of bones and cartilage that supports the body, protects the organs and allows movement. An adult skeleton usually has 206 bones.
  • femurThe thigh bone: the long bone between the hip and the knee. It is the longest and strongest bone in the human body.
  • osteo-A word part from Greek meaning 'bone'. It appears in osteocyte (bone cell), osteoblast (bone-building cell), osteology (the study of bones) and osteoporosis.
  • cartilageA firm but flexible connective tissue with no blood vessels. It covers the ends of bones in joints, gives shape to the nose and ears, and connects the ribs to the sternum.
  • jointA place where two or more bones meet. Some joints, like the knee, move freely; others, like those between the bones of the skull, hardly move at all.

More terms: Bones and the Skeleton

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.