Exam 5: The Skeletal System

As osteocytes become enclosed in small chambers called lacunae, they still can communicate via ________.

Bone is composed only of nonliving material.

The blood calcium level is regulated by two hormones: ________ causes an increase in blood calcium, whereas ________ causes a decrease in blood calcium.

Vertebrae of the spinal cord are separated from each other by compressible, flat structures called ________.

Osteoporosis may result if the activity of osteoclasts outstrips the activity of osteoblasts.

If a person has a herniated disk, sometimes surgery can relieve the pain that is associated with the condition. However, one side effect can be a loss in spinal flexibility. Why does this loss occur?

Cartilage-forming cells are referred to as chondroblasts.

Bones continue to lengthen throughout childhood and adolescence because

A clear fluid lubricates

In which one of the following locations would one find a cartilaginous joint?

Stem cells in red bone marrow give rise to ________ and ________ blood cells.

Even before organs begin to form, rudimentary versions of the shapes of bones begin to form in a fetus due to the

Which one of the following separates neighboring vertebrae and also functions as shock absorbers?

The stability of a synovial joint is due largely to the presence of calcium salts.

In which of the following bones are the teeth anchored?

When bones undergo repair, the process begins with the formation of a blood clot known as a(n) ________.

A typical long bone has an epiphysis at each end, which can be thought of as

The coccyx is classified as a(n) ________ structure because it no longer has a function.

Late in puberty, the sex hormones signal the growth plate of a bone to stop growing; once this happens, the bone cannot get longer, but it can grow in width.

Which one of the following statements is TRUE regarding parathyroid hormone (PTH)?