How Many Bones Does a Person's Body Have?

A person's body is supported by a skeleton which is composed of 206 long, short, flat and round bones. The longest bone is the thigh bone, or femur, and the shortest are the three ossicles in a ear, which are as small as a sesame seed.

Other than functioning to support the body and help people complete various movements, the bones also form a protective cavity, or armour, to guard some very important organs. For example, the skull is formed by eight bones, which protect the cerebrum, and the ribs form a protective wall around the heart and lungs.