Bones, Muscles, and Fats

BONES
Characteristics of Children’s Bones
 Children’s bones are not only smaller
than adults’ bones, but they also
differ in proportions, shape and
composition. Development is most
rapid during 1st year of life, followed
by slow development. Then, a rapid
development takes place again
during puberty.
The infant has 240 bones. At puberty,
340 bones. When the skeleton is
matured, there are only 206 bones
because some bones have fused.

The bone tissue is soft and spongy. The

child's bones contain more water and
protein-like substances and less
minerals than adults' bones.
 The outer covering or periosteum is
thicker and this prevents complicated
fractures.

 The child’s bones are not firmly knit

together.
Growth of Bones
 When the diaphysis (bone shaft) and
epiphysis (bony masses at the ends of
bones) have not fused, the bones
continue to grow in length. Once
they fuse, the bones stop in growth.
 Stimulation by sex hormones is
responsible for the fusion of the two
portions of the bone.
Ossification
 Ossification is the hardening of the
bone.
 Takes place during the early years of
life until puberty. Calcium,
phosphorus, and other mineral salts
are introduced into the bone
structure.
 Secretion of hormone from the
thyroid glands is responsible for the
ossification. When this hormone is
deficient, the ossification is delayed.
 Whenever there is retardation in
ossification, the child will have
bowed legs or other skeletal
deformities.
 By the use of X-rays, it is possible to
tell at what rate a child is progressing
in his osseous development and to
predict the approximate ages at
which he will reach puberty at the
maturity of his skeletal development.
MUSCLES AND FATS

A. Increase in weight at all periods of

growth is due to the development of
2 types of tissue.
A. 1. adipose tissue

B. 2. muscle tissue
Adipose tissue tends to develop
rapidly during the early years of
childhood (from the ages of 12-15 in
girls, and from 15-16 in boys), the
muscle tissue develops faster than
the adipose tissue.
B. Roles of muscles
1. muscles regulate the vital organ of
the body such as the heart, digestive
system and the glands.
2. they are responsible for the
strength and coordination of activity.
C. Adipose tissue
1. from birth to 9months, there is a
rapid decrease up to 2 1/2 years.
2. the decrease slows down until
approximately 5 ½ years and remains
practically unchanged to 11 years.
3. rapid decrease between 11-13
years frequently called “puberty
fat period”.