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This lesson covers the identification and location of the major bones of the skeleton as required by the OCR GCSE PE specification (J587 — 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 OCR GCSE PE you are required to know 20 specific bones (or bone groups). This is a larger set than some other specifications and includes bones of the hands and feet. Being able to identify these bones accurately is the foundation for understanding joints, movements, muscles, and sporting actions in later lessons.
The OCR specification requires you to know the following bones:
| Bone | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cranium | Head | The skull bones that enclose and protect the brain |
| Vertebrae | Spine / back | A column of 33 bones running from the skull to the pelvis |
| 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 |
| Pelvis | Hips | A large, basin-shaped bone supporting the spine and protecting organs |
| Humerus | Upper arm | The long bone between the shoulder and the elbow |
| Ulna | Forearm (little finger side) | The longer forearm bone on the medial (little finger) side |
| Radius | Forearm (thumb side) | The shorter forearm bone on the lateral (thumb) 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 | Fingers and toes | The small bones of the fingers (14 in each hand) and toes (14 in each foot) |
| 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 |
Exam Tip: Note that OCR requires you to know carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, tarsals and metatarsals — bones of the hands and feet. You must also know that phalanges refers to both the finger and toe bones. Practise labelling a blank skeleton diagram from memory — this is a common exam question format.
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["Vertebrae"]
B --> F["Ribs"]
B --> G["Sternum"]
C --> H["Clavicle"]
C --> I["Scapula"]
C --> J["Humerus"]
C --> K["Radius"]
C --> L["Ulna"]
C --> M["Carpals"]
C --> N["Metacarpals"]
C --> O["Phalanges (hands)"]
C --> P["Pelvis"]
C --> Q["Femur"]
C --> R["Patella"]
C --> S["Tibia"]
C --> T["Fibula"]
C --> U["Tarsals"]
C --> V["Metatarsals"]
C --> W["Phalanges (feet)"]
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 football (heading the ball).
Vertebrae — the vertebral column (spine) is made up of 33 vertebrae divided into five regions: cervical (7, in the neck), thoracic (12, in the upper back), lumbar (5, in the lower back), sacral (5, fused), and coccygeal (4, fused — the tailbone). The vertebrae protect the spinal cord and allow the trunk to flex, extend, and rotate.
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 sternum provides a connection point for the clavicle at its upper end.
The appendicular skeleton includes the limbs, shoulder girdle, and pelvic girdle. These are the bones involved most directly in sporting movements.
Clavicle — the collarbone runs horizontally across the front of the shoulder, connecting the sternum to the scapula. It acts as a strut to hold the shoulder joint in position and allow a full range of arm movement. The clavicle is one of the most commonly fractured bones in sport, particularly in contact sports like rugby and in falls during cycling or horse riding.
Scapula — the shoulder blade is a flat, triangular bone on the upper back. It provides attachment points for many muscles including the deltoid, trapezius, 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. Throwing, batting, and serving in tennis all involve movement of the humerus.
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 — a cluster of 8 small bones that form the wrist. They allow the wrist to flex, extend, and move from side to side. The carpals are important in sports that require wrist movement, such as badminton, golf, and gymnastics.
Metacarpals — 5 bones forming the palm of the hand. Each metacarpal connects a carpal bone to a phalange. They provide the structural framework for gripping actions in sports like tennis (racquet grip), cricket (batting and catching), and rock climbing.
Phalanges (hands) — the 14 small bones of the fingers (3 in each finger, 2 in the thumb). They are essential for gripping, catching, throwing, and fine motor control. In sport, the phalanges are crucial for a goalkeeper catching a ball, a cricketer gripping a bat, or a gymnast gripping the bars.
Pelvis — a large, strong, basin-shaped bone at the base of the spine. It supports the weight of the upper body, protects organs in the lower abdomen, 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. The femur transmits body weight when standing, walking, and running. It 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, increasing the efficiency of the quadriceps when extending the leg.
Tibia — the shinbone is the larger of the two lower leg bones. It bears most of the body's weight below the knee and forms the knee joint above and the ankle joint below.
Fibula — the thinner bone on the outside of the lower leg. It does not bear much weight but provides attachment points for muscles and helps stabilise the ankle joint.
Tarsals — a group of 7 bones forming the ankle and rear portion of the foot. They include the calcaneus (heel bone) and the talus. The tarsals are essential for weight-bearing, balance, and all movements involving the foot — running, jumping, and changes of direction.
Metatarsals — 5 long bones in the mid-foot, running from the tarsals to the phalanges. They act as a platform for pushing off during running and jumping. The metatarsals are subject to stress fractures in endurance athletes.
Phalanges (feet) — the 14 small bones of the toes (3 in each toe, 2 in the big toe). They assist with balance, grip on surfaces, and push-off during running and sprinting.
Exam Tip: A common way to remember which forearm bone is which: the Radius Rotates and is on the same side as your thumb. The Ulna is on the same side as your little finger — think "Ulna = Under" when the palm faces down.
Being able to link bones to sporting actions is essential for high marks. Here are some examples:
| Sporting Action | Key Bones Involved |
|---|---|
| Heading a football | Cranium, vertebrae |
| Throwing a javelin | Clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges |
| Sprinting | Pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges, patella |
| Catching a cricket ball | Humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges |
| Kicking a football | Femur, tibia, fibula, patella, tarsals, metatarsals |
| Playing a piano / dribbling a basketball | Carpals, metacarpals, phalanges |
| Performing a handstand | All upper and lower limb bones, vertebrae |
| Gymnastics balance beam | Tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges (feet), tibia, fibula |
In the exam, you may be given a diagram of the skeleton and asked to label specific bones. Here is a systematic approach:
flowchart TD
A["Start at the Top"] --> B["Cranium — skull"]
B --> C["Vertebrae — spine running downwards"]
C --> D["Ribs and Sternum — chest area"]
D --> E["Clavicle — front of shoulder"]
E --> F["Scapula — upper back"]
F --> G["Humerus — upper arm"]
G --> H["Radius — thumb side of forearm"]
G --> I["Ulna — little finger side of forearm"]
H --> J["Carpals — wrist"]
J --> K["Metacarpals — palm"]
K --> L["Phalanges — fingers"]
D --> M["Pelvis — base of spine / hips"]
M --> N["Femur — thigh"]
N --> O["Patella — front of knee"]
O --> P["Tibia — inner shinbone"]
O --> Q["Fibula — outer lower leg"]
P --> R["Tarsals — ankle"]
R --> S["Metatarsals — mid-foot"]
S --> T["Phalanges — toes"]
style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
style M fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
style T fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
Imagine a goalkeeper in a penalty shoot-out diving full stretch to her right to tip the ball round the post. Breaking this action down bone-by-bone is exactly the kind of task OCR expects you to perform.
Pre-dive set position. She stands alert on the goal line. Her weight is supported by the femur (thigh), tibia and fibula (lower leg), tarsals (ankle), and metatarsals and phalanges (feet). The pelvis transfers upper body weight down into the legs. The vertebrae hold her spine upright; the cranium is positioned neutrally to watch the ball.
Launch — the leg drive. To dive, she drives off her left foot. The femur acts as a lever, the knee as the pivot, and quadriceps muscle force extends the tibia forward. The fibula on the outside of her lower leg provides a stabilising point. As she pushes off, her tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges in that foot generate the final push — the phalanges specifically giving grip and the metatarsals acting as a spring-loaded platform.
Flight — arms reaching. As she flies through the air, her arms stretch to the right. The clavicle (collarbone) connects her sternum to her scapula at the shoulder, holding the whole upper limb in position. The scapula (shoulder blade) glides on her upper back. The humerus (upper arm) extends from the shoulder. The radius and ulna form her forearm — remember, the radius is on the thumb side and the ulna is on the little-finger side. Her carpals (8 wrist bones), metacarpals (5 palm bones), and phalanges (14 finger bones) spread wide to maximise hand area for a deflection.
Contact with ball and landing. Her fingertips — the phalanges — touch the ball and push it wide. She then lands on her side. The ribs and sternum protect the heart and lungs from impact with the ground. The pelvis absorbs the side-on force. The cranium is kept clear of the ground to protect the brain.
Twenty bones in one action. In this one dive, all 20 OCR-listed bones are involved. Noticing the role of the hand and foot bones (carpals, metacarpals, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges) is essential — these are on the OCR spec but are often missed from answers.
A common misconception is that phalanges are only in the fingers. In fact phalanges refers to the small bones in both the fingers AND the toes — 14 in each hand and 14 in each foot. Students also routinely mix up carpals (wrist) and tarsals (ankle), and metacarpals (palm of hand) and metatarsals (mid-foot). A useful memory aid: carpals are where you grip a car steering wheel (hand), tarsals are where you plant your feet on the tarmac (foot).
Question (6 marks): Identify the bones involved when a cricketer takes a catch above their head. For each bone, state its location.
Grade 3-4 answer: "To catch a ball you use your arm bones. There is the humerus in the upper arm, the radius and ulna in the lower arm, and the finger bones. You also use your shoulder bones." (Commentary: around 2 marks. Names a few bones but location is vague and several required OCR bones are missing.)
Grade 5-6 answer: "To catch a ball above the head, the cricketer uses the clavicle (collarbone) and scapula (shoulder blade) at the shoulder, the humerus (upper arm), the radius (thumb side of forearm) and ulna (little finger side). The carpals are the 8 wrist bones, the metacarpals are the 5 bones in the palm, and the phalanges are the 14 finger bones." (Commentary: 4-5 marks. All upper-limb bones named with correct locations. Could improve by mentioning supporting bones such as the vertebrae and lower-limb bones needed to stabilise the body.)
Grade 7-9 answer: "Catching a ball above the head involves all eight upper-limb OCR bones and several support bones. At the shoulder, the clavicle (collarbone, front of the shoulder) connects the sternum to the scapula (shoulder blade, upper back). The humerus (upper arm) meets the scapula at the shoulder and the radius (thumb side of the forearm, lateral) and ulna (little finger side, medial) at the elbow. At the wrist, the 8 carpals allow the wrist to flex and extend; the 5 metacarpals form the palm and the 14 phalanges form the fingers, with three in each finger and two in the thumb. These provide the grip for the catch. Supporting bones include the vertebrae (which hold the trunk upright), the pelvis (which transfers weight into the legs), and the femur, tibia and fibula (which support the stance). All 20 OCR-listed bones play a direct or indirect role." (Commentary: full 6 marks — names each bone with precise location, differentiates radius from ulna, and links hand bones to the specific catching action while acknowledging supporting bones.)
This content is aligned with the OCR GCSE Physical Education (J587) specification, Paper 1: Physical factors affecting performance — Skeletal and muscular systems. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to the official OCR specification document.