How many bones does the human body have?

Many people are surprised to learn that there are 206 bones in the human body. They think of the bones they're aware of, such as the bigger ones, which perhaps they've never tallied up, and those bones don't even approach 200.

So, what are all thes bones?

Overview of human bones

Arms

• The upper arm: Humerus
• The forearms
  • Radius (inside)
  • Ulna (outside)
• The hands
  • 5 fingers, each comprised of 3 bones called phalanges = 15 per hand
• The wrists have 8 bones each, which you likely don't need to memorize for an anatomy course:
  • Capitate
  • Hamate
  • Lunate
  • Pisiform
  • Scaphoid
  • Trapezium
  • Trapezoid
  • Triquetrum

The total per arm is 1 + 2 + 15 + 8 = 26.

Two arms gives you 52 bones.

Legs

• The upper leg: Femur
• The lower leg
  • Tibia (front)
  • Fibula (back)
• The knee: Patella
• The feet
  • 5 toes (14 bones)
    • 4 are comprised of 3 phalanges = 12 per foot
    • The big toe has 2 phalanges, the end one being the Hallux.
  • 5 Metatarsals, which lead to the toes.
  • Tarsals (7):
    • 3 Cuneiform bones (next to toes)
    • Cuboid (outside edge, next to toes)
    • Navicular (inside edge)
    • Talus
    • Calcaneus (heel)

Summing up per leg, that's 1 + 2 + 1 + 14 + 5 + 7 = 30.

Two legs gives you 60 bones.

The hips

The hips are really 3 bones per side fused with triradiate cartilage.

• Ilium (top)
• Pubis (front)
• Ischium (bottom)

Total bones per hip side is 3.

Total bones per hips is 2 times 3 = 6.

The spine

From low to high:

• The coccyx i.e. the tailbone or vestigial tail
  • It consists of 3 to 5 coccygeal vertebrae.
  • They are fused into 1 or 2 pieces.
• Sacrum
  • This consists of the vertebrae S1 through S5.
  • They are fused.
• Lumbar spine
  • There are 5 vertebrae L1 (uppermost) though L5 (lowest).
• Thoracic spine
  • There are 12 vertebrae T1 (uppermost) through T12 (lowest).
  • T12 is adjacent to L1.
• Cervical spine
  • There are 7 vertebrae C1 (uppermost) through C7 (lowest).
  • C7 is adjacent to T1.
  • C1 is called the Atlas.
  • C2 is called the Axis.

The total for the spine is (at most) 5 + 5 + 5 + 12 + 7 = 34.

The torso

Besides the spine, your torso has many other bones.

• The ribs (24 total)
  • True ribs (upper): 7 per side.
  • False ribs (lower): 3 per side.
  • Floating ribs (rear): 2 per side.
• The clavicles i.e. collar bones.
  • There are 2, one per side.
• The sternum
  • It starts out as 6 sections of cartilage but transforms into bone as a person ages.
  • After 1 year, it becomes 3 sections: the body, manubrium, and xiphoid process.
  • The manubrium is a part of the sternum but remains a bone unto itself.
  • The xiphoid process starts out as cartilage but ossifies between age 5 and 18.
• Scapula
  • There are 2 scapulae, which the humeruses attach to.

The total for torso bones is 24 + 2 + 3 + 2 = 31.

The head

There are more than you might expect.

• Mandible i.e. the jaw.
• Maxilla, which holds the upper teeth.
• Nasal bones, one per side of the nose.
• The frontal bone i.e. forehead.
• Zygomatic bones i.e. cheekbone, one per side of the face.
• Sphenoidal bones, one per side behind the cheek bones.
• Temporal bones, one per side around the ears.
• Parietal bones, top of the head, one part per side.
• Occipital bone, at the lower rear of the head, into which the spinal column goes.
• Lachrymal bones, in the eye sockets.
• Ethmoid bone, between the eye sockets.
• Bones of the ear
  • Malleus i.e. the hammer
  • Incus i.e. the anvil
  • Stapes i.e. the stirrup

The total for the head is thus 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 6 = 23

The grand total

• Arms 52 bones
• Legs 60 bones
• Hips 6 bones
• Spine 34 bones
• Torso 31 bones
• Head 23 bones

The sum of 52 + 60 + 6 + 34 + 31 + 23 = 206 bones!