Final answer:
The skeletal system serves as the body's framework and protects internal organs such as the brain, spinal cord, and heart. It is divided into the axial and appendicular skeleton, with the axial containing 80 bones and the appendicular consisting of 126 bones in adults.
Step-by-step explanation:
The skeletal system provides the structural framework of the body and protects internal organs such as the brain, spinal cord, and heart. The human skeleton consists of two divisions: the axial and the appendicular skeleton.
The axial skeleton forms a vertical axis that includes the head, neck, back, and chest and consists of 80 bones, including the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage. The adult vertebral column is made up of 24 vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx, and the thoracic cage is formed by 12 pairs of ribs and the sternum.
The appendicular skeleton consists of 126 bones in the adult and includes all of the bones of the upper and lower limbs plus the bones that anchor each limb to the axial skeleton.