Final answer:
The adult human skeleton has 206 bones divided into two divisions: the axial skeleton with 80 bones and the appendicular skeleton with 126 bones. The axial skeleton includes the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage, while the appendicular skeleton consists of the limbs and girdles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The adult human skeleton consists of 206 bones. These bones are divided into five categories based on their shapes, correlating to their functions: long bones, short bones, flat bones, sutural bones, sesamoid bones, and irregular bones.
Two Skeleton Separations
The human skeleton is traditionally separated into two major divisions: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton.
Axial Skeleton
The axial skeleton forms a vertical axis that includes the head, neck, back, and chest, consisting of 80 bones. It comprises the skull, vertebral column, thoracic cage, which includes 24 vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx, and 12 pairs of ribs along with the sternum.
Appendicular Skeleton
The appendicular skeleton includes all bones of the limbs and girdles, totaling 126 bones in the adult. It encompasses the bones within the upper and lower limbs themselves and the shoulder (pectoral girdle) and pelvic girdle that anchor the limbs to the axial skeleton.