Download Human Remains

Anthropology Notes
I.
Osteology – the study of bones
A. 206 bones in the adult body
B. Function of bones
1. Provides structure and rigidity
2. Protects soft tissue and organs
3. Serves as an attachment for muscles
4. Produces blood cells
5. Serves as a storage area for minerals
6. Can detoxify the body by removing heavy metals and
other foreign elements from the blood
C. Human bones can be distinguished from animals bone by
examining the osteons (holes). Osteons contain blood vessels and
nerve fibers
D. Homeostasis:
1. osteoblasts create new bone by secreting calcium and
phosphorus
2. osteocytes maintain the cellular activities of bones
3. osteoclasts breakdown bone or remove damaged bone
tissue
E. Classification:
A. Bones: living cell and collagen fibers surrounded by deposits
of calcium salts
1. Long bones: long longitudinal axes and expanded short
ends (ex. Humerus or femur)
i.
epiphysis: growth plate at the end of long bones
which articulate (forms a joint) with another bone
a. spongy bone: branching bony plates with
irregular spaces
b. articular cartilage: coats epiphysis
ii. diaphysis: shaft that makes up most of the long
bones’ length. The wall is made of compact bone,
tightly packed tissue composing the wall
iii. periosteum: tough, vascular covering of fibrous
tissue that encloses the bone
iv.
v.
processes: projections, depressions, or grooves
marrow – found inside bone cavities
yellow – made of fat cells
red – produce red blood cells, some white blood
cells, and platelets
2. Short bones: cubelike shape with length and width roughly
equal (carpals and tarsals)
3. Flat bones: platelike structures with broad surfaces
(scapula)
4. Irregular: variety of shapes, usually connected to other
bones (vertebrae)
II.
Skeletal Remains
A. Anthropology: study of human kind including anatomy,
variability, evolution and culture
B. Forensic Anthropology:
1. applied physical anthropology that specializes in the
human skeletal system for purposes of legal inquiry and
presentation in court
2. may be able to determine age range, gender, height, race,
cause of death
C. Age determination: from teeth eruption, growth of bones,
epiphyses formation and uniting, cranial suture closure
D. Gender Differences: pelvic shape, number of ribs, skull
morphology
E. Race Differences: skull morphology
F. Stature: calculations based on length of long bones
G. Odontology: hardest substance in the body shows unusual
features