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This lesson covers the identification and location of the major bones of the skeleton as required by the Edexcel GCSE PE specification (1PE0 — Topic 1: Applied Anatomy and Physiology). You need to be able to identify and locate each bone, understand where it sits within the skeleton, and relate its position to sporting movements.
The human skeleton contains 206 bones in adults, but for Edexcel GCSE PE you are required to know over 22 specific bones (or bone groups). Crucially, the Edexcel specification requires knowledge of the five vertebral regions, the clavicle, and the bones of the hands and feet (carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, tarsals, metatarsals). Being able to identify these bones accurately is the foundation for understanding joints, movements, muscles, and sporting actions in later lessons.
The Edexcel specification requires you to know the following bones:
| Bone | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cranium | Head | The skull bones that enclose and protect the brain |
| Cervical vertebrae | Neck | 7 vertebrae forming the neck region of the spine |
| Thoracic vertebrae | Upper back | 12 vertebrae in the mid-back, each attached to a pair of ribs |
| Lumbar vertebrae | Lower back | 5 large vertebrae in the lower back, bearing most body weight |
| Sacrum | Base of the spine | 5 fused vertebrae forming a triangular bone between the hip bones |
| Coccyx | Very base of the spine | 4 fused vertebrae forming the tailbone |
| Ribs | Chest | 12 pairs of curved bones forming the ribcage |
| Sternum | Centre of the chest | The flat breastbone connecting the ribs at the front |
| Clavicle | Front of the shoulder | The collarbone — connects the sternum to the scapula |
| Scapula | Upper back / shoulder | A flat, triangular bone also known as the shoulder blade |
| Humerus | Upper arm | The long bone between the shoulder and the elbow |
| Radius | Forearm (thumb side) | The shorter forearm bone on the lateral (thumb) side |
| Ulna | Forearm (little finger side) | The longer forearm bone on the medial (little finger) side |
| Carpals | Wrist | A group of 8 small bones forming the wrist joint |
| Metacarpals | Hand (palm) | 5 long bones forming the framework of the palm |
| Phalanges (hand) | Fingers | 14 small bones forming the fingers |
| Pelvis | Hips | A large, basin-shaped bone supporting the spine and protecting organs |
| Femur | Upper leg / thigh | The longest and strongest bone in the body |
| Patella | Front of the knee | The kneecap — a small, flat, triangular bone |
| Tibia | Lower leg (front / inner) | The shinbone — the larger of the two lower leg bones |
| Fibula | Lower leg (outer) | The thinner bone on the outside of the lower leg |
| Tarsals | Ankle / rear of the foot | A group of 7 bones forming the ankle and heel area |
| Metatarsals | Foot (mid-section) | 5 long bones forming the framework of the mid-foot |
| Phalanges (foot) | Toes | 14 small bones forming the toes |
Exam Tip: The Edexcel specification is more detailed than some other exam boards when it comes to bones. You must know all five vertebral regions individually (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, coccyx) — not just "vertebrae" as a single group. You must also know carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, tarsals and metatarsals. Practise labelling a blank skeleton diagram from memory.
The skeleton is divided into two main parts. Understanding this division helps you organise the bones logically.
graph TD
A["The Human Skeleton"] --> B["Axial Skeleton"]
A --> C["Appendicular Skeleton"]
B --> D["Cranium"]
B --> E["Vertebral Column<br>(cervical, thoracic, lumbar,<br>sacrum, coccyx)"]
B --> F["Ribs"]
B --> G["Sternum"]
C --> H["Clavicle & Scapula"]
C --> I["Humerus, Radius, Ulna"]
C --> J["Carpals, Metacarpals,<br>Phalanges (hand)"]
C --> K["Pelvis"]
C --> L["Femur, Patella"]
C --> M["Tibia, Fibula"]
C --> N["Tarsals, Metatarsals,<br>Phalanges (foot)"]
style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
style B fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
style C fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
The axial skeleton forms the central axis of the body. It includes:
Cranium — the dome of the skull that surrounds the brain. It is made up of several fused bones and does not move. In sport, the cranium is at risk during contact activities such as rugby, boxing, and heading the ball in football.
Vertebral column — the spine is made up of 33 vertebrae divided into five regions. For Edexcel you must know each region by name:
| Region | Number of Vertebrae | Location | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical | 7 | Neck | Smallest vertebrae; allow the head to nod, rotate and tilt |
| Thoracic | 12 | Upper/mid back | Each attached to a pair of ribs; allow rotation of the trunk |
| Lumbar | 5 | Lower back | Largest individual vertebrae; bear most of the body's weight |
| Sacrum | 5 (fused) | Base of spine | Triangular bone connecting the spine to the pelvis |
| Coccyx | 4 (fused) | Tailbone | Small fused bones at the very base of the spine |
Exam Tip: A common Edexcel question is to ask which region of the vertebral column allows certain movements. The cervical region allows rotation of the head (looking left and right), the thoracic region allows rotation of the trunk, and the lumbar region allows flexion and extension of the trunk (bending forward and backward). Learn these links.
Ribs — there are 12 pairs of ribs. The upper 7 pairs are "true ribs" attached directly to the sternum, the next 3 pairs are "false ribs" attached indirectly, and the bottom 2 pairs are "floating ribs" with no front attachment. Together they form the ribcage, which protects the heart and lungs.
Sternum — the flat breastbone at the front of the chest. It connects the ribs and provides attachment points for muscles.
The appendicular skeleton includes the limbs, shoulder girdle, and pelvic girdle. These bones are involved most directly in sporting movements.
Clavicle — the collarbone runs from the sternum to the scapula at the front of each shoulder. It acts as a strut, keeping the shoulder joint in position and allowing a full range of arm movement. The clavicle is commonly fractured in contact sports such as rugby and cycling falls.
Scapula — the shoulder blade is a flat, triangular bone on the upper back. It provides attachment points for many muscles including the deltoid and latissimus dorsi. It moves with the shoulder during throwing, swimming, and racquet sports.
Humerus — the upper arm bone connecting the shoulder to the elbow. It forms the ball-and-socket joint at the shoulder and the hinge joint at the elbow.
Radius — the forearm bone on the thumb side (lateral side). It is shorter than the ulna and rotates around the ulna to allow the palm to face up (supination) or down (pronation).
Ulna — the forearm bone on the little finger side (medial side). It forms the main part of the hinge joint at the elbow. The bony point of your elbow (the olecranon process) is the top of the ulna.
Carpals, metacarpals and phalanges (hand) — the carpals are the 8 small bones of the wrist, arranged in two rows. The metacarpals are the 5 bones in the palm. The phalanges are the 14 bones of the fingers (3 in each finger, 2 in the thumb). Together these allow the intricate grip and manipulation needed for catching, throwing, and racquet sports. The wrist is a condyloid joint — an important Edexcel-specific joint type.
Pelvis — a large, strong, basin-shaped bone at the base of the spine. It supports the weight of the upper body and provides attachment for the powerful hip and thigh muscles.
Femur — the thigh bone and the longest, strongest bone in the body. It extends from the hip to the knee and is crucial in kicking, sprinting, and jumping.
Patella — the kneecap is a small, triangular sesamoid bone embedded within the tendon of the quadriceps muscle. It protects the front of the knee joint and acts as a lever.
Tibia — the shinbone is the larger of the two lower leg bones. It bears most of the body's weight below the knee.
Fibula — the thinner bone on the outside of the lower leg. It provides attachment points for muscles and helps stabilise the ankle joint.
Tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges (foot) — the tarsals are 7 bones forming the ankle and heel area. The metatarsals are 5 bones in the mid-foot. The phalanges are 14 bones forming the toes. Together these absorb impact during running and jumping and allow push-off during sprinting.
Being able to link bones to sporting actions is essential for high marks in the Edexcel exam.
| Sporting Action | Key Bones Involved |
|---|---|
| Heading a football | Cranium, cervical vertebrae |
| Throwing a javelin | Clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges |
| Sprinting | Pelvis, femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges (foot) |
| A tennis serve | Cervical/thoracic vertebrae, scapula, clavicle, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges |
| Kicking a football | Femur, tibia, fibula, patella, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges (foot) |
| Catching a cricket ball | Humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges (hand) |
| Sit-ups / core exercises | Thoracic/lumbar vertebrae, ribs, pelvis |
| Goalkeeper diving | Scapula, clavicle, humerus, pelvis, femur |
Imagine a performer in the gym picks up a dumbbell and performs a bicep curl. This looks like a simple movement but it engages a surprising number of named Edexcel bones, each one playing a specific structural role. Walk through the movement.
Start position. The performer stands tall with the dumbbell hanging at the side. The cranium sits on top of the cervical vertebrae (C1-C7). The weight of the dumbbell passes down through the clavicle and scapula into the humerus, then through the elbow into the radius and ulna, and into the hand via the carpals, metacarpals and phalanges. At the same time, the full bodyweight plus the weight of the dumbbell passes through the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum, the coccyx and then through the pelvis into the femur. The femur transfers the load to the tibia, while the fibula lies laterally and shares stabilisation. The patella sits over the front of the knee, and the foot bones (tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges) contact the floor. In a single still position, virtually every major Edexcel bone is under some load.
Lifting phase. The performer flexes the elbow. The humerus stays relatively still while the radius rotates and is pulled upwards by the biceps. The ulna moves as part of the forearm. Notice that the scapula and clavicle also act as an anchor — the biceps originates on the scapula, so without this flat bone there would be nothing for the muscle to pull against.
Peak contraction. As the dumbbell reaches the shoulder, the phalanges of the hand are compressed by the grip. The metacarpals and carpals stack the load back through the radius and ulna. The thoracic vertebrae and ribs keep the torso upright, protecting the heart and lungs while the performer breathes.
Lowering phase. On the way down the biceps works eccentrically, lengthening under control as the dumbbell descends. The radius rotates back. This controlled lowering is why careful lifters develop stronger bones over time — the load stimulates osteoblast activity in the long bones (humerus, radius, ulna) and in the flat bones of the torso.
Takeaway. Even a simple arm exercise loads both the axial skeleton (cranium, vertebral column, ribs, sternum) and the appendicular skeleton (clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, pelvis, femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges). In an exam answer, listing the relevant bones by anatomical name — rather than "arm" or "hand" — earns the AO1 marks.
Watch out: students frequently lose marks by using everyday names instead of the Edexcel anatomical names. "Collarbone" must be written as clavicle, "shoulder blade" as scapula, "shinbone" as tibia, and "kneecap" as patella. A second misconception is that the vertebral column is one bone. It is actually 33 bones arranged in five regions — cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, coccyx — and Edexcel requires you to name each region separately.
Six-mark question: "Using a named sporting action, identify the bones of the upper and lower body that are used, and explain the role of the axial skeleton in supporting the action. (6 marks)"
Grade 3-4 response (AO1 recall, limited AO2 application):
"When you kick a football you use the femur, tibia and the foot bones. You also use your back bones and your arms. The skeleton holds you up so you can kick."
Examiner comment: Some correct AO1 recall (femur and tibia named) but many bones are missed, no reference to the axial skeleton by correct name, and no real AO2 application. Likely 2 out of 6 marks.
Grade 5-6 response (secure AO1 + AO2):
"During a football kick the standing leg uses the femur, tibia, fibula, patella, tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges to support the bodyweight and balance. The kicking leg uses the same bones. The axial skeleton — cranium, cervical/thoracic/lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, coccyx, ribs and sternum — supports the upper body and keeps the player upright. The arms (scapula, clavicle, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges) help balance."
Examiner comment: Clear AO1 + AO2 with bones named using correct anatomical terminology and the axial skeleton listed by region. Likely 5 out of 6 marks.
Grade 7-9 response (AO1 + AO2 + AO3 evaluation):
"A football kick engages both the axial and appendicular skeletons. On the kicking leg, the femur (long bone) swings through the hip; the tibia and fibula then drive through the knee; the patella protects the anterior knee; and the tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges contact the ball. On the standing leg the same bones act as a stable column transferring load to the ground. The axial skeleton — cranium protecting the brain, cervical/thoracic/lumbar vertebrae and sacrum/coccyx forming the spinal column, plus the ribs and sternum protecting the heart and lungs — provides the stable core against which the leg muscles can generate rotational force. The arms (scapula, clavicle, humerus, radius, ulna and hand bones) act as counter-rotating masses to preserve balance. Evaluating this, the success of the kick depends not on any single bone but on the whole axial-appendicular system working as a coordinated mechanical structure."
Examiner comment: Full AO1 and AO2 with correctly named bones, AO3 evaluation of axial-appendicular coordination, excellent specialist vocabulary. Likely 6 out of 6 marks.
This content is aligned with the Edexcel GCSE Physical Education (1PE0) specification, Component 1: Fitness and body systems — Applied anatomy and physiology. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to the official Pearson Edexcel specification document.