Do athletes really have bigger bones than the rest of us? Why are babies' heads so soft? Who has more bones—a ten year old or a fifty year old? What would happen if you left a broken arm in a cast too long? How can we tell how old buried bones are?

Tenth in the acclaimed Systems of the Body Series, The Skeletal System introduces the skeleton as a functional part of the human body, not a lifeless Halloween prop. In clear simple language, the Silver- steins explain the human skeletal system, how it works with the muscles, how it develops from birth and how it functions with the other systems of the body. They compare man’s skeletal system with that of other animals, birds and insects. New frontiers in bone research and their applications in related fields are also explored in this entertaining, easy-to-read introduction.

From the dust jacket