endoskeletons
Bones inside bodies
Endoskeletons are internal skeletal structures that support an animal's body from within.
Vertebrates—fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals—have endoskeletons made of bone or cartilage.
The term contrasts with exoskeleton, the external shell or armor of insects, crustaceans, and similar creatures.
The human endoskeleton comprises 206 bones.
Spinal column animal
- bonesRigid internal support structure
- cartilageFlexible connective body tissue
- spineColumn of vertebrae
- skullHead's bone casing
ribcage · pelvis · femur · collagen · marrow · joints · calcium · ossification
Situated within
- supportTo uphold or sustain
- structureArrangement of interconnected parts
- growthIncrease in size
- developmentProgress toward maturity
organism · body · tissue · mineralization · phosphate · mesoderm · notochord · evolution
Robotics inspired by biology
- biomimeticMimicking biological systems
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- chassisStructural support base
- humanoidBeing with body like ours
android · articulation · mechanical · prosthetics · biomechanics · actuators · load-bearing · structural engineering
Animal sans backbone
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- moltingPeriodic shedding of covering
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- shellHard outer covering
carapace · crustacean · insect · continuous growth · hydrostatic · flexibility · repair · regeneration
vertebrate
Spinal column animal
- bonesRigid internal support structure
- cartilageFlexible connective body tissue
- spineColumn of vertebrae
skull · ribcage · pelvis · femur · collagen · marrow · joints · calcium · ossification · axial
internal
Situated within
development · organism · body · tissue · mineralization · phosphate · mesoderm · notochord · evolution · adaptation
biorobotics
Robotics inspired by biology
- biomimeticMimicking biological systems
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- chassisStructural support base
humanoid · android · articulation · mechanical · prosthetics · biomechanics · actuators · load-bearing · structural engineering · artificial
invertebrate
Animal sans backbone
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- moltingPeriodic shedding of covering
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
shell · carapace · crustacean · insect · continuous growth · hydrostatic · flexibility · repair · regeneration
endoskeletonssoft bodies