How to Study the Bones of the Body

Doctors must be familiar with the human skeleton.

If you want to be a doctor, nurse or alternative medical practitioner, you must master the human skeleton. Study not only the names of bones, but also how the bones work and how to keep them healthy. You can begin at home with just an online connection, although if you are really interested you may want to use your doctor as a further resource.

Instructions

1. Visit websites such as Innerbody, the Bone Box or the Eskeleton project, which have an interactive display of the bones of the body. Study one section of the body at a time on the website. Mouse over the part of the body you are studying to learn the names of the bones and click on any links or bone names to get more information.

2. Purchase or borrow a life-size replica of the human skeleton. Look at the skeleton as you study the bones online. Find each bone on the skeleton as the online program labels it.

3. Label the bones on the skeleton without looking at the online program. Check the program afterward, and remove any labels that are incorrect. Do this exercise on a daily basis until you can label all the bones correctly from memory.

4. Visit a medical museum or interview your doctor to learn more about how bones work in the human body.

References

• Iowa Science Teachers: Beyond Dry Bone Memorization

Resources

• Stritch School of Medicine: The Bone Box
• Inner Body: Skeletal System
• Eskeletons.org: The Eskeleton Project