How to Identify 20 Major Bones of the Body

Adults have 206 bones in their bodies, though only 20 of these bones play a major role in the structure of the skeleton. Identifying the 20 major bones in the human body can be a challenging task for anyone. Unfortunately, the only way to successfully identify bones in the human body is to memorize their names and locations, though tips and tricks exist that can assist with memorizing the names of the bones and their locations.

How to Identify 20 Major Bones of the Human Body

Break down the bones of the body into groups to make memorization easier. Suggested groups are the head, core body (shoulders, torso, hips, and sacrum), arms and hands, and legs and feet.

Remember that there is only one major bone in the head. This is the skull.

Memorize the major bones of the core body. Start with the clavicle. The clavicle is the collar bone. An easy way to memorize this is that both clavicle and collar bone start with the letter C. Next, move onto the scapula. The scapula is the shoulder bone. They both start with the letter S, aiding in memorization. The other bones in this portion of the body don’t have any tricks and simply need to be memorized. The sternum is the breast bone. The ilium is the hip bone. The ribs create the rib cage. The sacrum is a group of fused bones at the base of the spine located in between the iliac crests, which are the top of the hip bones.

Memorize the bones that make up the arms and hands. Start from the top of the arm near the shoulder and work down to the fingers. The humerus is the long bone in the upper arm. Remembering that this is the bone that hurts when it is bumped and is often called the funny bone will make remembering that it is the humerus an easy task. The radius and the ulna are the bones in the lower portion of the arm. Remembering that the radial pulse, which is the pulse located near the wrist, is located near the radius makes it simple to memorize this bone. The carpals are the bones of the wrist. The metacarpals are the bones of the hand. The phalanges are the bones of the fingers.

Memorize the bones that make up the legs and feet. Start from the top of the leg near the pelvis and work down to the toes. The femur is the long bone in the upper part of the leg. The patella is the knee cap. It is easily memorized by remembering that the patella looks like a plate. The fibula and tibia are found in the lower leg. The tibia can be memorized by remembering that the tibia has a tuberosity, which is the projection at the upper end of the tibia. The tarsals are in the ankles, the metatarsals are in the feet, and the phalanges are the toes.

Use a skeleton to memorize these bones. Skeletons can commonly be found in biology labs at high schools and colleges. Alternatively, a picture of a skeleton can be used to work on memorizing and locating the bones.