List of bones in the human body: by region, number and Latin name
An adult has 206 bones. They support the body, protect the organs, give muscles something to pull on, store calcium and make blood cells. A newborn has around 270 to 300; many fuse as we grow.
This page sorts the bones by region: skull, vertebral column, thorax, upper limb and lower limb. Click a bone to open its article, and from there check its shape and position on a 3D model in the teamLabBody app.
Key facts
- Bones in an adult
- 206 (skull 29, spine 26, thorax 25, upper limbs 64, lower limbs 62)
- Bones in a newborn
- About 270–300 (they fuse with growth)
- Largest bone
- Femur (about a quarter of body height)
- Smallest bone
- Stapes (middle-ear ossicle, about 3 mm)
- Vertebral column
- 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, sacrum (5 fused), coccyx (3–5 fused)
- Ribs
- 12 pairs: true ribs 1–7, false ribs 8–10, floating ribs 11–12
- Bone types
- Long, short, flat, irregular, sesamoid, pneumatic
By region
Click a name to open the detailed article.
Skull (cranium, ossicles and hyoid)
8 neurocranial and 14 facial bones make 22, plus 6 auditory ossicles and the hyoid for 29. Most are joined by sutures; only the mandible moves.
| Bone | Latin | Number | Location and features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontal bone | Os frontale | 1 | Forms the forehead and the roof of the orbits; contains the frontal sinus |
| Parietal bone | Os parietale | 2 | Most of the skull vault; left and right meet at the sagittal suture |
| Temporal bone | Os temporale | 2 | Holds the ear and the mastoid process; houses the middle and inner ear |
| Occipital bone | Os occipitale | 1 | The spinal cord passes through the foramen magnum; the occipital condyles articulate with the atlas |
| Sphenoid bone | Os sphenoidale | 1 | Centre of the skull base; the pituitary sits in the sella turcica; contains the sphenoid sinus |
| Ethmoid bone | Os ethmoidale | 1 | Upper nasal cavity and medial orbital wall; olfactory nerves pass through the cribriform plate |
| Maxilla | Maxilla | 2 | Carries the upper teeth; contains the maxillary sinus |
| Mandible | Mandibula | 1 | The only movable bone of the skull; meets the temporal bone at the temporomandibular joint |
| Zygomatic bone | Os zygomaticum | 2 | Forms the prominence of the cheek; the zygomatic arch is the origin of the masseter |
| Nasal, lacrimal, palatine, inferior nasal concha, vomer | Os nasale / lacrimale / palatinum / Concha nasalis inferior / Vomer | 2・2・2・2・1 | Small bones that form the nasal cavity and the palate |
| Auditory ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes) | Ossicula auditus (malleus, incus, stapes) | 3×2 | Transmit sound in the middle ear; the stapes is the smallest bone in the body |
| Hyoid bone | Os hyoideum | 1 | Does not articulate with any other bone; suspended by muscles and ligaments, with the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles attached |
Vertebral column (spine)
Stacked vertebrae form the axis of the trunk and protect the spinal cord in the vertebral canal. The cervical and lumbar regions curve forward and the thoracic and sacral regions backward, giving an S-shaped curve that absorbs shock.
| Bone | Latin | Number | Location and features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertebral column (whole) | Columna vertebralis | 26 | 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, sacrum and coccyx; intervertebral discs lie between the vertebral bodies |
| Cervical vertebrae (C1–C7) | Vertebrae cervicales | 7 | The vertebral artery runs through the transverse foramina; C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) have special shapes |
| Thoracic vertebrae (T1–T12) | Vertebrae thoracicae | 12 | Have costal facets that articulate with the ribs; long, downward-pointing spinous processes |
| Lumbar vertebrae (L1–L5) | Vertebrae lumbales | 5 | The largest vertebral bodies; carry most of the body weight |
| 1st lumbar vertebra (L1) | Vertebra lumbalis I | 1 | The spinal cord ends at the L1–L2 level (conus medullaris) |
| 2nd lumbar vertebra (L2) | Vertebra lumbalis II | 1 | Below L2 the vertebral canal contains the cauda equina instead of the spinal cord |
| Sacrum | Os sacrum | 1 | Five fused sacral vertebrae; forms the sacroiliac joints with the hip bones and the back wall of the pelvis |
| Coccyx | Os coccygis | 1 | 3 to 5 fused coccygeal vertebrae; the lowest end of the spine |
Thorax (sternum and ribs)
The sternum, 12 pairs of ribs and 12 thoracic vertebrae form the rib cage, which protects the heart and lungs and moves with breathing.
| Bone | Latin | Number | Location and features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sternum | Sternum | 1 | Three parts: manubrium, body and xiphoid process; the sternal angle (level of the 2nd rib) is a surface landmark |
| Ribs | Costae | 12 pairs (24) | 1–7 attach directly to the sternum (true ribs), 8–10 are false ribs, 11–12 are floating ribs |
| Costal cartilage | Cartilago costalis | — | Hyaline cartilage joining the ribs to the sternum; gives the rib cage its elasticity |
Upper limb (shoulder girdle, arm, forearm, hand)
32 bones on each side, 64 in total. The shoulder girdle (clavicle and scapula) links the trunk to the arm, and the hand has 27 bones.
| Bone | Latin | Number | Location and features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clavicle | Clavicula | 2 | The only upper-limb bone that articulates with the trunk (sternum); S-shaped |
| Scapula | Scapula | 2 | Triangular flat bone; articulates with the humerus at the glenoid cavity and with the clavicle at the acromion; 17 muscles attach |
| Humerus | Humerus | 2 | The largest long bone of the upper limb; the radial nerve runs in the radial groove on the shaft |
| Radius | Radius | 2 | Thumb side of the forearm; its distal end forms the wrist joint with the carpal bones |
| Ulna | Ulna | 2 | Little-finger side of the forearm; the olecranon forms the point of the elbow |
| Carpal bones | Ossa carpi | 8×2 | Proximal row: scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform; distal row: trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate |
| Scaphoid | Os scaphoideum | 1×2 | The largest bone of the proximal carpal row; lies in the floor of the anatomical snuffbox |
| Metacarpal bones | Ossa metacarpi | 5×2 | Bones of the palm; the 1st metacarpal belongs to the thumb |
| Phalanges of the hand | Phalanges manus | 14×2 | Two in the thumb, three each in fingers 2–5 (proximal, middle, distal) |
Lower limb (pelvis, thigh, leg, foot)
31 bones on each side, 62 in total. The hip bone is the ilium, ischium and pubis fused together and forms the pelvis with the sacrum.
| Bone | Latin | Number | Location and features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip bone (coxal bone) | Os coxae | 2 | Ilium, ischium and pubis fused at the acetabulum; forms the pelvis with the sacrum |
| Ilium | Os ilium | 2 | Upper part of the hip bone; the iliac crest can be felt through the skin |
| Ischium | Os ischii | 2 | Lower back part of the hip bone; body weight rests on the ischial tuberosity when sitting, and the hamstrings arise from it |
| Pubis | Os pubis | 2 | Lower front part of the hip bone; left and right meet at the pubic symphysis |
| Femur | Femur | 2 | The largest and longest bone in the body; its head fits into the acetabulum |
| Patella | Patella | 2 | The largest sesamoid bone, embedded in the quadriceps tendon |
| Tibia | Tibia | 2 | Medial bone of the leg and the main weight-bearer; the patellar ligament inserts on the tibial tuberosity |
| Fibula | Fibula | 2 | Slender lateral bone of the leg; carries little weight, serves for muscle attachment and steadies the outside of the ankle |
| Tarsal bones | Ossa tarsi | 7×2 | Talus, calcaneus, navicular, medial/intermediate/lateral cuneiforms, cuboid |
| Metatarsal bones | Ossa metatarsi | 5×2 | Bones of the top of the foot; the base of the 5th has a tuberosity where the fibularis brevis inserts |
| Phalanges of the foot | Phalanges pedis | 14×2 | Two in the big toe, three each in toes 2–5 |
All articles in this system
Skull (cranium, ossicles and hyoid)
Vertebral column (spine)
- Cervical Vertebrae: The 7 Vertebrae, Related Muscles and Nerves
- Lumbar vertebrae: the five vertebrae, muscles and lumbar plexus
- Spine Basics: How Many Vertebrae, Structure, Functions, and Terminology Explained with 3D Anatomy
- What is the cervical spine
- Where is the first lumbar vertebra
- Where is the sacrum? Position of the bone formed by five fused vertebrae and the sacroiliac joints
- Where is the second lumbar vertebra
Thorax (sternum and ribs)
Upper limb (shoulder girdle, arm, forearm, hand)
- Carpal bones: the eight wrist bones, where they are and their names
- Clavicle
- Humerus: location, parts from head to elbow, and English name
- Metacarpal bones: location, structure and English name
- Radius: location, related muscles and nerves, and how to study it
- Scaphoid: location, features and English and Latin names
- Scapula: position, attached muscles and nerves
- What is the ulna? Position, olecranon, relationship with the radius and the name ulna
Lower limb (pelvis, thigh, leg, foot)
- Femur: where it is, its features and the trochanters
- Fibula: where it is, how to remember it and related muscles
- Metatarsal bones: where they are, what they do and the five metatarsals
- Phalanges of the foot: the 14 toe bones, muscles and nerves
- Tibia
- Tibia: position of the medial condyle, tibial tuberosity and medial malleolus, and its function
- What are the tarsal bones? How to study human anatomy: position, English names and more with anatomical diagrams
- Where is the patella? Kneecap position, shape and the quadriceps
FAQ
How many bones are in the human body?
An adult has 206: skull 29 (22 skull bones, 6 ossicles, the hyoid), vertebral column 26, thorax 25, upper limbs 64 and lower limbs 62. A newborn has about 270–300, which fuse into 206 during growth. The number of sesamoid bones varies from person to person.
What are the largest and smallest bones?
The largest is the femur, about a quarter of body height in length. The smallest is the stapes in the middle ear, about 3 mm long.
How many bones make up the spine?
26: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum (5 fused sacral vertebrae) and the coccyx (3–5 fused coccygeal vertebrae). Counted before fusion, that is 32–34.
What is a good way to learn the bone names?
Learn them region by region. For the carpal bones, a mnemonic such as "Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can't Handle" (scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate) helps; then check each bone's position on a 3D model and repeat.
How can I study the bones in 3D?
In the teamLabBody anatomy app you can show a bone on its own and rotate it, or add muscles and ligaments to see where they attach. Each bone article links to the matching part of the app.
See every structure in 3D with the teamLabBody anatomy app.