Which bones comprise the axial skeleton?

• A. Skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage (ribs and sternum)
• B. Scapula, clavicle, pelvis
• C. Femur, tibia, fibula
• D. Humerus, radius, ulna

Answer: (A)

The axial skeleton consists of the bones that form the body's central axis. It includes the skull, which protects the brain and supports facial structures; the vertebral column, which surrounds and safeguards the spinal cord while providing vertical support; and the thoracic cage, made up of the ribs and sternum, which protects the heart and lungs and assists breathing. The remaining bones belong to the appendicular skeleton, which includes the limbs and the girdles that attach them to the trunk. So the shoulder girdle bones (scapula and clavicle), the pelvis, and the long bones of the arms and legs (like humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, fibula) are not part of the axial skeleton. Therefore, skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage constitute the axial skeleton.