The warning labels on cigarette packages don't mention anything about your bones, but they should. Cigarette smoking can cause serious problems with your bones. Smoking weakens your bones, and this can cause you to develop a disease called osteoporosis as you grow older. But that isn't all that smoking can do. It can also cause problems with your bones right now -- especially if you break a bone or need bone surgery.
The bones can also be harmed directly by toxic substances from tobacco smoke. These substances travel from the lungs, through the bloodstream, to all parts of the body -- including the bones. Substances in tobacco smoke that can damage your bones include nicotine (the drug in tobacco that makes it addictive) and carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide (two poisonous gases that rob your body of oxygen).
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What is the skeletal system?
The skeletal system is the bones that make up our body. The human skeleton has two main parts, called the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The appendicular skeleton includes the shoulders and pelvis (called limb girdles) and their attached limb bones. The axial skeleton consists of the spine, the ribs, the sternum and the skull.
The skeletal system, in conjunction with the muscular system, plays an important part in the movement of our bodies. The skeletal system provides a series of independently moveable levers, which muscles can pull in different directions to move different parts of the body.
Another important function of the skeletal system is that it provides protection and support for our internal organs. For example, the skull serves as a helmet protecting the brain. In addition, certain bones produce red blood cells while others produce white blood cells (necessary to destroy harmful bacteria). Bones also serve as a storage place for minerals.
Why is the skeletal system important?
The muscular system and the skeletal system (or musculoskeletal system) work together to provide basic functions that are essential to everyday life.
