What Are the Bones of the Axial Skeleton?

The bones that make up the axial skeleton include those that comprise the skull, sternum, ribs and vertebral column. The axial skeleton acts as an anchor for the appendicular skeleton, which consists of the bones that make the skeleton's appendages.

Axial Skeleton

• The bones that comprise the axial skeleton support the body's head, neck and trunk, and protect vital organs.

Skull

• There are 22 bones (eight cranial and 14 facial) that form the cranium, which protects the brain.

Sternum

• The sternum is the flat bone that anchors the ribs, and together the sternum and ribs comprise the rib cage. The sternum is made of three parts: the manubrim, which connects the first two ribs; the body, which connects the third to seventh ribs directly and the eighth through the 10th indirectly; and the xiphoid process, which is the bottom of the sternum.

Ribs

• The ribs are the 24 bones that, along with the sternum, protect the heart, lungs and parts of other organs. The ribs are seperated into three categories: the true ribs, the false ribs and the floating ribs.

Vertebral Column

• The vertebral column, or spine, is made up of 33 irregularly shaped bones, which are seperated into five categories: the cervical vertebrae, the thoracic vertebrae, the lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum and finally the coccyx, or tailbone.