Various Types of Human Skeletal Bones

Description: Long bones are present in the limbs. They have a characteristic shaft, the diaphysis, made of compact bone and the ends, the epiphyses, made of spongy bone and covered with articular cartilage for movement at the joints.

Description: Short bones are small and somewhat cube shaped. They consist of a thin layer of compact bone over spongy bone. They are found in the wrists and ankles.

Description: Flat bones are thin and can be slightly curved. They include the bones of the skull and the sternum.

Description: Irregular bones have no defined shape and are made of layers of compact and spongy bone. They include the hips and spine.

Description: Sesamoid bones are embedded in tendons. This includes the patella, also known as the knee cap. Some short bones are also sesamoid bones.