The number of bones in the human body decreases drastically with age, how many have you lost?

Your first science lessons at Are the school far away? Did you know that we lose almost a hundred bones in total when we become adults?

The human body is a fascinating structure that changes according to people and their ages. Our skeletons, in particular, differ in size, weight and shape, to adapt to different bodies. our unique bodies. The bones of an adult represent, for example, approximately 20% of their body weight, but this percentage varies depending on each person's morphology.

The bones themselves fall into four categories: long, short, flat and irregular, each with a specific structure and function. They don't just allow us to stand and move; They protect our organs and store essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, while also housing bone marrow, which produces our blood cells. Each bone, from the largest to the smallest, plays a crucial role in our daily life.

But did you know that we are born with more than 350 bones and that this number decreases drastically as we age? 206 à adulthood? This metamorphosis is a natural process where The baby's bones, mainly made up of cartilage, begin to weaken. to ossify and for some to become merge. This transformation is essential, because it allows you to our skeletons to strengthen and support our bodies over time.

• À age 3, the bones develop at the same time. starting from the different bony pieces which began to form. à train yourself to the birth. The bones of the skull in particular, which are separated in babies to allow brain growth and to facilitate childbirth, have begun to develop. à coalesce to form the cranial box – a process called synostosis. The process is not complete, just like the fusion of the vertebrae. But the exact number of bones can already be determined. descend between 300 and 270 bones.
• À 5 years, the epiphyses of long bones (ends of bones that are separated by growth plates in children) were able to fuse with the diaphysis (the main body of the bone). A child can have between approximately 270 and 240 bones. That said, the exact number may vary depending on the stage of growth and timing of bone fusion.
• À 10 years, the number of bones is most variable, with the exact process of fusion possibly being influenced by the number of bones. by genetic, nutritional and environmental factors. Some bones in the hand and foot begin to deteriorate. fuse together and the long bones continue to strengthen. We can estimate that a 10 year old child would have a bone count somewhere between 206 and 240 bones.
• À 15 years, the key age By adolescence, most children have a bone count that approaches that of an adult. However, the process is not yet complete. done, especially for the growth plates of long bones. In a 15-year-old, these plaques are still active, although they may begin to develop. show signs of closure, especially in girls, who usually reach maturity bones earlier than boys. A 15-year-old could have a number of weak bones slightly higher than that of a 15-year-old. 206, which is the standard number in adults.