The brain, which is housed and protected by in the bones of the skull, makes up all parts of the central nervous system above the spinal cord. The brain can be divided into two major parts: the lower brain stem and the higher forebrain.

The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The spinal cord transmits messages that coordinate movement and sensation. The cord is an ovoid shaped column of nerve tissue that extends from the medulla at the underside of the brain down through cavities in the spinal column to the second lumbar vertebrae.

The wrist, links the hand to the arm. The wrist is a complex mechanical system of 8 small bones known as the carpal bones. The hand contains 19 bones: 5 elongated metacarpal bones, which are next to the wrist and make up the palm; 14 phalanges which make up the fingers.

The foot is incredibly complex. This introduction to the anatomy of the foot and ankle will be very general and highlight the main structures. The bones of the foot and ankle begin with the ankle joint itself. The ankle joint, talocrural joint, is formed where the leg meets the foot.

The spinal column is made up of 26 bones: 24 unique vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx (tail bone)—located at the end of the backbone. The Vertebrae appear to be chained together and form the backbone (spine). The lumbar spine are the disks L1 through L5 of the lower back.

The hip joint is one of the largest joints in the body and is a major weight-bearing joint. Weight bearing stresses on the hip during walking can be 5 times a person’s body weight. A healthy hip can support your weight and allow you to move without pain.

The shoulder joint is not a single joint, but a complex arrangement of bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons that is better called the shoulder girdle. The primary function of the shoulder girdle is to provide strength and range-of-motion to the arm.

Our knee is the most complicated and largest joint in our body. It’s also the most vulnerable because it bears enormous weight and pressure loads while providing flexible movement. When we walk, our knees support 1.5 times our body weight; climbing stairs is about 3-4 times our body weight and squatting about 8 times.

The knee joint connects the femur, our thigh bone and longest bone in the body, to the tibia, the second longest bone. There are two joints in the knee—the tibiofemoral joint, which joins the tibia to the femur and the patellofemoral joint which joins the kneecap to the femur.