Question 1

The total number of bones in the adult human body is:

Accepted Answer

206. The adult human skeleton has 206 bones (axial 80 + appendicular 126).

Question 2

The axial skeleton includes the skull, vertebral column, ribs and:

Accepted Answer

Sternum. The axial skeleton = skull, vertebral column, ribs and sternum (80 bones).

Question 3

The number of pairs of ribs in humans is ______, of which ______ pairs are "true" ribs:

Accepted Answer

12 pairs; 7 pairs. Humans have 12 pairs of ribs; the first 7 (true ribs) attach directly to the sternum.

Question 4

The appendicular skeleton consists of the bones of the limbs and their girdles; the number of bones in it is:

Accepted Answer

126. The appendicular skeleton has 126 bones — limb bones plus the pectoral and pelvic girdles.

Question 5

The human vertebral column consists of ______ vertebrae, formed from ______ at birth (some fuse later):

Accepted Answer

26; 33. An adult has 26 vertebrae (some cervical/sacral/coccygeal fuse) from 33 present at birth.

Question 6

The pectoral girdle (shoulder) is made of the ______, while the pelvic girdle is made of the ______:

Accepted Answer

Clavicle and scapula; two coxal (hip) bones. Pectoral girdle = clavicle + scapula; pelvic girdle = two coxal bones (ilium, ischium, pubis).

Question 7

The human skeletal system is divided into which two main divisions?

Accepted Answer

Axial and appendicular skeleton. The skeleton is grouped into the axial skeleton (skull, vertebral column, ribs and sternum) and the appendicular skeleton (limb bones and their girdles).

Question 8

The number of bones forming the axial skeleton of an adult human is:

Accepted Answer

80. The axial skeleton comprises 80 bones — the skull, vertebral column, ribs and sternum — while the appendicular skeleton has 126, together totalling 206 bones.

Question 9

The human skull is made up of how many bones (cranial plus facial)?

Accepted Answer

22. The skull consists of 22 bones — 8 cranial bones that enclose the brain and 14 facial bones. (Counting the hyoid and ear ossicles separately, the skull region has 29 bones in all.)

Question 10

The long bones of the limbs, such as the femur, primarily function in:

Accepted Answer

Weight bearing and movement. Long bones like the femur are load-bearing levers that, worked by muscles, enable locomotion and support body weight; their marrow also contributes to blood-cell formation.

Question 11

The pectoral girdle on each side is formed by which two bones?

Accepted Answer

Clavicle and scapula. Each half of the pectoral (shoulder) girdle consists of a clavicle and a scapula; the glenoid cavity of the scapula articulates with the humerus. The ilium and ischium belong to the pelvic girdle.

Question 12

Match the region with the number of vertebrae in the human vertebral column: (i) Cervical (ii) Thoracic (iii) Lumbar — (p) 12 (q) 7 (r) 5. Choose the correct combination.

Accepted Answer

(i)-q, (ii)-p, (iii)-r. There are 7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar vertebrae, along with the fused sacrum (1) and coccyx (1), giving the characteristic 7-12-5 pattern of the vertebral column.

Question 13

Assertion (A): Each pelvic girdle half is a single bone in the adult. Reason (R): The ilium, ischium and pubis fuse together to form the coxal (hip) bone. Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. In the adult the three pelvic components — ilium, ischium and pubis — fuse into one coxal bone, so each half of the pelvic girdle is a single bone, and R correctly explains A.

Question 14

Which statement about the human rib cage is INCORRECT?

Accepted Answer

All 12 pairs of ribs are directly attached to the sternum in front. Only the first seven pairs (true ribs) join the sternum directly. Pairs 8–10 attach indirectly (false ribs) and pairs 11–12 are floating, so it is wrong to say all 12 pairs attach directly to the sternum.

Question 15

The number of bones contributing to each of the human forelimb (excluding the pectoral girdle) is:

Accepted Answer

30. Each hand-bearing forelimb has 30 bones: 1 humerus, 1 radius, 1 ulna, 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals and 14 phalanges, summing to 30.

Question 16

The centrally placed flat bone of the thoracic cage to which the true ribs are attached ventrally is the:

Accepted Answer

Sternum. The sternum (breast bone) lies mid-ventrally in the thorax and receives the true ribs through costal cartilages. The scapula and clavicle form the shoulder girdle and the sacrum is part of the vertebral column.

Question 17

Typically, all mammals have ______ cervical vertebrae.

Accepted Answer

7. Nearly all mammals, including humans, have 7 cervical vertebrae.

Question 18

Total number of bones in each hindlimb of a man is

Accepted Answer

30. Each hindlimb has 30 bones: femur, patella, tibia, fibula, 7 tarsals, 5 metatarsals and 14 phalanges.

Question 19

Patella is associated with

Accepted Answer

Knee. The patella (knee cap) is located at and protects the knee joint.

Question 20

Which one of the following components is the part of pectoral girdle?

Accepted Answer

Glenoid cavity. The glenoid cavity of the scapula is part of the pectoral girdle; acetabulum and ilium belong to the pelvic girdle.

Skeletal System — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions

Questions with solutions