Joints and Connective Tissues
Joints are where two or more bones meet, and they come in different types based on their mobility. Fibrous joints like skull sutures allow very little movement, while continuous joints in the pelvis and spine permit some flexibility through cartilage connections.
Synovial joints are the most mobile joints in your body. They contain a fluid-filled cavity with several important structures: articular cartilage (shock absorber), synovial membrane (lines the joint), synovial fluid (lubricant), and ligaments (connect bone to bone).
The spinal column demonstrates the complexity of our skeletal framework with its 33 vertebrae organized into five regions: 7 cervical (neck), 12 thoracic (chest), 5 lumbar (lower back), 5 fused sacral vertebrae, and 4 fused coccygeal vertebrae.
Remember: Tendons connect muscle to bone, while ligaments connect bone to bone - an easy way to keep these critical connective tissues straight in your mind!