ANAT 1010 Lecture 8: Lecture 8: appendicular system
17 Oct 2018
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Document Summary
The appendicular system consists of the upper and lower limbs (appendages), and its primary function is movement. Due to their similar developmental programs, the upper and lower limbs have much in common, as each limb is composed of limb girdles and free limbs. Upper limbs: pectoral girdles + free upper limbs. Lower limbs: pelvic girdles + free lower limbs. The first segments of the free limbs (arm in the upper limb and the thigh in the lower limb), when compared, both have a single large bone. Proceeding distally to the second segments, the forearm in the upper limb and the leg in the lower limb both have 2 parallel bones. However, the major difference between the upper and lower limbs is that the pelvic girdles of the lower limb are firmly anchored to the vertebral column via a strong ligamentous joint. Each upper limb skeleton consists of 32 bones, which form 2 distinct regions: the pectoral girdle:
