Anatomy quizzes › Bones

Bones Quiz: The Human Skeleton

Fourteen questions on the 206 bones that hold you up. Front-on diagrams face you, so the patient’s right is on your left. Tap an answer to see if you’re right.

  1. Question 1 of 14

    How many bones are in the adult human body?

    1. 206
    2. 256
    3. 300
    4. 186
    Show answer

    Answer: 206. 206 is the standard count. Extra sesamoid bones and small bones in the sutures mean real people vary a little.

  2. Question 2 of 14

    About how many bones is a newborn baby born with?

    1. About 150
    2. About 300
    3. About 206
    4. About 400
    Show answer

    Answer: About 300. Roughly 270 to 300, many still partly made of cartilage. Lots of them fuse as you grow, for example in the skull, spine and pelvis.

  3. Question 3 of 14

    Name the highlighted bone.

    Front view
    1. Xiphoid process only
    2. Clavicle
    3. Manubrium only
    4. Sternum
    Show answer

    Answer: Sternum. The breastbone: manubrium, body and xiphoid process. Its red marrow keeps making blood cells throughout adult life.

  4. Question 4 of 14

    Name the highlighted bones.

    Front view
    1. Lumbar spine
    2. Femur
    3. Pelvis
    4. Sacrum
    Show answer

    Answer: Pelvis. Two hip bones and the sacrum. Each hip bone is three bones (ilium, ischium and pubis) fused together.

  5. Question 5 of 14

    Name the highlighted bones.

    Front view
    1. Clavicles
    2. Scapulae
    3. Sternum
    4. Ribs
    Show answer

    Answer: Ribs. Twelve pairs. The top seven pairs join the sternum directly; the bottom two ‘floating’ pairs don’t reach the front at all.

  6. Question 6 of 14

    Name the highlighted part of the spine.

    Spine, side view (front to the left)
    1. Sacrum
    2. Cervical spine
    3. Thoracic spine
    4. Lumbar spine
    Show answer

    Answer: Cervical spine. Seven cervical vertebrae, the same number as a giraffe. They curve forwards (lordosis).

  7. Question 7 of 14

    Name the highlighted part of the spine.

    Spine, side view (front to the left)
    1. Coccyx
    2. Cervical spine
    3. Thoracic spine
    4. Lumbar spine
    Show answer

    Answer: Thoracic spine. Twelve thoracic vertebrae, one for each pair of ribs. They curve backwards (kyphosis).

  8. Question 8 of 14

    Name the highlighted part of the spine.

    Spine, side view (front to the left)
    1. Lumbar spine
    2. Thoracic spine
    3. Cervical spine
    4. Sacrum
    Show answer

    Answer: Lumbar spine. Five large lumbar vertebrae carry the most weight, which is one reason lower back pain is so common.

  9. Question 9 of 14

    Name the highlighted bone at the bottom of the spine.

    Spine, side view (front to the left)
    1. Sacrum
    2. Ischium
    3. Coccyx
    4. Fifth lumbar vertebra
    Show answer

    Answer: Coccyx. The tailbone: three to five small fused vertebrae. A fall onto the bottom can bruise or break it.

  10. Question 10 of 14

    Which is the smallest bone in the body?

    1. Distal phalanx of the little toe
    2. Stapes
    3. Incus
    4. Pisiform
    Show answer

    Answer: Stapes. The stapes in the middle ear, about 3 mm long.

  11. Question 11 of 14

    Which is the longest bone in the body?

    1. Fibula
    2. Tibia
    3. Humerus
    4. Femur
    Show answer

    Answer: Femur. The femur, around a quarter of your height. The tibia comes second.

  12. Question 12 of 14

    Which cells build new bone?

    1. Osteoblasts
    2. Osteoclasts
    3. Fibroblasts
    4. Chondrocytes
    Show answer

    Answer: Osteoblasts. Osteoblasts build, osteoclasts break down. Osteoporosis happens when breakdown outpaces building.

  13. Question 13 of 14

    Which vertebra is called the atlas?

    1. C2
    2. C1
    3. C7
    4. T1
    Show answer

    Answer: C1. C1 holds up the skull, like Atlas holding up the sky. C2 is the axis, the pivot that lets you shake your head ‘no’.

  14. Question 14 of 14

    In adults, where is most blood made?

    1. Yellow marrow in the long bones
    2. The liver
    3. The spleen
    4. Red marrow in the pelvis, spine, sternum and ribs
    Show answer

    Answer: Red marrow in the pelvis, spine, sternum and ribs. In adults, red marrow is mostly in flat bones and vertebrae. The liver and spleen make blood before birth.

Want one a day? Play Anatomegaly, the daily anatomy game: five body parts, four options each, new every midnight.

Common questions

How many bones are in the human body?

Adults have 206 bones. The count varies a little between people because of extra sesamoid bones (small bones in tendons) and tiny bones in the skull sutures.

Why do babies have more bones than adults?

Babies are born with roughly 270 to 300 bones and pieces of bone, many partly made of cartilage. As children grow, many fuse together, for example in the skull, the sacrum and the hip bones, leaving 206.

What are the five types of bone?

Long bones (femur, humerus), short bones (wrist and ankle bones), flat bones (skull, sternum, ribs), irregular bones (vertebrae) and sesamoid bones, which sit inside tendons (patella).

How do I learn the bones quickly?

Go region by region (skull, spine, chest, arm, hand, leg, foot), touch each bone on yourself where you can, and learn the counts: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar vertebrae, 8 carpals, 7 tarsals.

More anatomy quizzes

Reviewed 8 November 2026 by a Malady Wise GP. Diagrams are simplified, original sketches, not to scale. General education, not personal medical advice.