How many bones does the human body have? It depends on your age.

Everyone has bones, no matter who you are or where you are, but not everyone understands the importance of the changes that take place in their bodies. Walking, sleeping and having safe organs are all possible with the help of our bones.

Your bones give your body its structure, and together with the mobility they enable us to have, they are invaluable in protecting and perpetuating human life, in addition to protecting your organs. If you think you can count the number of bones you have, don’t try. It’s too complicated.

How many bones are in the human body?
by the age of 25, humans have 206 bones. They are born with about 300 bones and cartilage, which “fuse” together over time to form the mature adult body.

The soft, delicate patches on the bones of infants shortly after birth are among those that harden and fuse during early life.

This bone growth is driven by calcium intake during childhood and replaces the soft feeling cartilage with healthier, strengthened bones. During our maturing years, this bone also forms our body shape and skeletal structure.

What other bones stand out?
However, the bones of the body are not evenly distributed from head to toe. Some bones, such as the longest bone, the femur in the thigh, occupy a large part of the body. Other parts of the body, such as the hand, are made up of 27 smaller, more complex bones that allow your hand to function and grip as it does. The feet are also packed with different bones – 26 of the 206 bones in your body.

What are the different types of bones?
But the 206 bones in your body are not just distinguished by name. As betterhealth.vic.gov.au explains, long bones, short bones, flat bones and irregular bones are the four categorized bone types.

Long bones, such as the humerus, fibula or tibia, are the bones that can move and carry weight. Short bones, including the wrist bones of the hand and the tarsus of the foot, can also improve movement while stabilizing the wrist and ankle. Flat bones are usually found in the skull and include your frontal and occipital bones. Finally, irregular bones are bones that do not conform to a shape, such as your spine.