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How many bones are in the adult human axial skeleton?
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skeleton
Selected vertebrate skeletons.
In the adult human body, the axial skeleton consists of 80 individual bones.1
This structure serves as the central framework of the body and includes the following components:
- Skull: 8 cranial bones and 14 facial bones1
- Middle Ear: 6 auditory ossicles1
- Throat: 1 hyoid bone1
- Vertebral Column: 24 vertebrae, plus the sacrum and the coccyx1
- Thorax: 24 bones of the rib cage and the sternum1
The axial skeleton is primarily responsible for supporting the trunk and protecting vital structures, including the central nervous system, the heart, and the lungs.12