The human body has 206 bones
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
Why does a baby have more bones than an adult?
At birth many bones, such as those of the skull, the sacrum and the hip bones, are still in separate pieces, and they fuse as the body grows. A newborn is usually said to have about 270 bones, which become 206 in the adult.
Which are the largest and the smallest bones?
The longest and largest bone is the femur, the thigh bone. The smallest is the stapes, one of the three ear ossicles in the middle ear.
Where are most of the bones?
In the hands and feet. Each hand has 27 bones and each foot 26, so the two hands and two feet together hold 106 bones, more than half of the 206.
Related counts
- Axial and appendicular skeleton
- Bones of the skull
- Bones of the spine
- Number of ribs
- Bones of the arm
- Bones of the leg
Other bone counts
- Cervical vertebrae
- Thoracic vertebrae
- Lumbar vertebrae
- Bones of the hand
- Carpal bones
- Bones of the foot
- Tarsal bones
- Phalanges of the fingers and toes
- Bones of the pelvis
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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