How many bones: counts by region
An adult usually has 206 bones. The 22 bones of the skull, the 6 ear ossicles, the hyoid, the 26 bones of the spine, the 24 ribs and the sternum make up the 80 bones of the axial skeleton, and the 64 bones of the arms and 62 of the legs make up the 126 of the appendicular skeleton. A newborn has more, because many bones are still in separate pieces that fuse into one as the body grows.
Frequently asked questions
How many vertebrae are in the spine?
The spine is made of about 33 vertebrae: 7 cervical (neck), 12 thoracic (chest), 5 lumbar (lower back), 5 sacral and about 4 coccygeal. The 5 sacral vertebrae fuse into the sacrum and the 3 to 5 coccygeal vertebrae into the coccyx, so the adult spine is counted as 26 bones.
How many ribs does a person have?
There are 12 pairs of ribs, 24 in all, and men and women have the same number. Ribs 1 to 7 are true ribs that join the sternum directly, ribs 8 to 10 are false ribs that reach it through the cartilage above, and ribs 11 and 12 are floating ribs whose front ends are free.
How many bones are in the hand?
Each hand has 27 bones, 54 in both hands. They are the 8 carpal bones of the wrist, the 5 metacarpals of the palm and the 14 phalanges of the fingers.
Bone counts
- Bones in the human body: The human body has 206 bones
- Axial and appendicular skeleton: Axial skeleton 80 bones, appendicular 126
- Bones of the skull: The skull has 22 bones
- Bones of the spine: The spine has 33 vertebrae, 26 bones in adults
- Cervical vertebrae: There are 7 cervical vertebrae
- Thoracic vertebrae: There are 12 thoracic vertebrae
- Lumbar vertebrae: There are 5 lumbar vertebrae
- Number of ribs: There are 12 pairs of ribs, 24 in all
- Bones of the arm: Each arm has 32 bones, 64 in both
- Bones of the hand: Each hand has 27 bones
- Carpal bones: There are 8 carpal bones
- Bones of the leg: Each leg has 31 bones, 62 in both
- Bones of the foot: Each foot has 26 bones
- Tarsal bones: There are 7 tarsal bones
- Phalanges of the fingers and toes: 14 phalanges in each hand and each foot
- Bones of the pelvis: The pelvis is made of 4 bones
Skeleton
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Related reading
- Sarcopenia: what to measure, and what to do, when muscle and strength decline
- What getting up from a chair says about how your body is ageing
- Why ageing bone marrow turns to fat, and a PEMF study in mice
- PEMF and whole-body vibration: two rhythms that reach the body
- Myokines: the signals working muscle sends to the body
- Ageing parents: the changes families notice first
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