How Many Bones in the Human Body ?

How many bones in the human body ? is a common question and required knowledge of students taking many courses in subjects such as human biology, human anatomy & physiology and health science subjects such as nursing and various therapies.

There are 206 named bones a normal, complete, adult human skeleton.

However, individual people / skeletons may have more than 206 bones including various small un-named bones that have formed over time, usually in certain high-friction areas of the body. This is explained further below the following diagrams.

List the 206 bones in the human body

Bones of the human body can be classified (i.e. grouped-into, or described) as the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton.
It may be easier to learn the names of the bones of the human skeleton in these two groups than to try to remember one list of 206 human bones.

List of the 80 bones of the Axial Skeleton: Names of bones Comments Number of each of this bone Skull Bones: 8x Cranial Bones Ethmoid bone Frontal bone Occipital bone Parietal bones Sphenoid bone Temporal bones Due to the symmetrical shape of the cranium, there are pairs of parietal and temporal bones - one of each side of the head 1 1 1 2 1 2 Skull Bones: 14x Facial Bones Inferior Nasal Conchae Lacrimal Bones Mandible Maxillae Nasal Bones Palatine Bones Vomer Zygomatic Bones Due to the symmetry of the face, most of the facial bones are in pairs - one on each side of the face. Exceptions include the vomer (in the nose) and the mandible (lower-jaw bone). 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 Hyoid bone Only distantly articulated to other bones by muscles or ligaments - no joints with other bones. 1 Auditory ossicles bones 3 bones located in the middle ear on each side of the head - smallest bones in the body. 6 Vertebral Column incl. the atlas and axis bones located in the neck. Most of the vertebrae are usually referred to by numbers rather than names. 26 (total) Bones of the Thorax: Sternum bone 7 pairs True Ribs 3 pairs False Ribs 2 pairs Floating Ribs The sternum is also known colloquially as the "breast bone". 1 14 6 4 Total: __ 80
List of the 126 bones of the Appendicular Skeleton: Names of bones Comments Number of each of this bone Shoulder Girdles = "pectoral girdles" Clavicle bones Scapulae Due to the symmetry of the body, there are 2 clavicle bones and 2 scapula bones, 1 on each of the left and right. 2 2 Arms = "upper limbs" Humerus bones Ulna bones Radius bones Carpal bones Scaphoid Lunate Triquetrum Pisiform Trapezium Trapezoid Capitate Hamate Metacarpal bones Phalanges The two upper limbs have symmetrical bone structures, hence the list of even numbers of bones for each name / category of bone listed. E.g. (1.) there is a humerus bone in both the left- and right- arms - see bones of the arm. E.g.(2.) there are 10 metacarpal bones; 5 in each hand. These could be listed individually as metacarpal I, metacarpal II, metacarpal III up to metacarpal V on each of both the left- and right- hands. See bones of the hand. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 10 28 Hip Girdle = "pelvic girdle" Hip bones The hip bones are also called the "coxal bones" and have 3 parts: ilium, ischium and pubis. 2 Legs = "lower limbs" Femur bones Fibula bones Tibia bones Patella bones Tarsal bones Calcaneus Talus Cuboid Navicular First Cuneiform 2nd Cuneiform 3rd Cuneiform Metatarsal bones Phalanges The two lower limbs have symmetrical bone structures, hence the list of even numbers of bones for each name / category of bone listed. E.g. (1.) there is a femur bone in both the left- and right- legs. E.g.(2.) there is a cuboid bone, which is one of the tarsal bones, in each of the left- and right- ankles. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 10 28 Total: ___ 126

The tables above indicate that:

There are 80 named bones in the axial skeleton.
There are 126 named bones in the appendicular skeleton.

Therefore, there are 80 + 126 = 206 named bones in the human skeleton.

What about the un-named bones in the human skeleton ?
How many un-named bones are present and where are they ?

Sesamoid bones and sutural bones are mentioned on the page about the different types of bones in the human skeleton.

• Sesamoid bones develop in some tendons in locations in the body where there is much friction, tension, and physical stress e.g. in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
• Sutural bones are tiny un-named bones found only within the sutural joints between cranial bones (a "suture" is an immovable joint whose only location in the human body is between the cranial bones of the skull). There are many sutures, the most prominent being the coronal suture, the sagittal suture, the lambdoid suture and the squamous suture.

Apart from the patellae (also known as "kneecaps"), which are the only named sesamoid bones in the human body, the number and location of sesamoid and sutural bones in the skeleton varies considerably from person to person. It may also change over a person's lifetime e.g. if someone changes from having a sedentary lifestyle to one invloving much manual labour and, as a result, develops additional sesamoid bones in his hands.

So, how to answer the exam question: How many bones are in the human body ?

Take into account the maximum number of marks available. If only one mark is available for that part of the question, the expected answer may be short and simple, e.g. "206 named bones".
There is no need to name or list all the bones or to label them on a diagram unless asked to do so.
In the cases of longer questions e.g. including several parts and with more marks available, credit may be given for distinguishing between named and un-named bones and explaining that the minimum number of bones in the human body is 206, which is the total number of named bones.

This is the end of this page about How many bones are in the human body ?
Information about the structure and functions of bones, the human skeleton, types of bones, cranial and facial bones, bones of the feet and hands, bone markings and skeletal disorders are also included on this website.