What Your Skeleton Really Does

Science · Organisms & Life Processes · ages 11-13

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which bones protect your brain?
- Ribcage
- Skull
- Spine
Which of these is NOT one of the skeleton's four main functions?
- Digesting food
- Protection
- Movement
Bone marrow is where new blood cells are made.
Circle one: True False
Which organs does the ribcage protect?
- Stomach and liver
- Brain and spinal cord
- Heart and lungs
How many main functions does the human skeleton have?
Answer: ______________
Maya breaks her leg and it hurts to walk. Which skeleton function explains this?
- Movement
- Protection
- Making blood cells
A doctor tells a patient that damaged bone marrow can lower their number of red blood cells. Why would this happen?
- Bone marrow stores blood but does not make it
- Red blood cells are made in the ribcage, not the marrow
- Bone marrow is where red blood cells are produced
Sam says bone marrow is just empty space inside bones with no real job. What is wrong with this idea?
- Marrow protects the brain instead of the skull
- Marrow makes new blood cells, so it is not empty or useless
- Marrow only exists in the ribcage

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Skull · The skull is a hard case of bone that surrounds and protects your brain.
Digesting food · The skeleton supports, protects, and moves your body, and makes blood cells. Digesting food is a job for your stomach and intestines, not your bones.
True · Correct. Bone marrow, the soft tissue inside bones, is where new blood cells are made.
Heart and lungs · The ribcage's curved bones form a protective cage around the heart and lungs.
4 · Support, protection, movement, and making blood cells add up to four functions total.
Movement · A broken bone cannot act as a lever for muscles to pull against, so movement is affected.
Bone marrow is where red blood cells are produced · Red blood cells are produced inside bone marrow, so damaged marrow can mean fewer red blood cells in the blood.
Marrow makes new blood cells, so it is not empty or useless · Marrow is not empty. It produces new blood cells every day, which is one of the skeleton's four main jobs.