Scapula & Clavicle Ligaments

We just learned about the Sternoclavicular Ligaments that connect your clavicle to your ribs and sternum.

We learned long ago that the clavicle (collarbone) and scapula (shoulder blade or wing bone) work together to hold the ribs and shoulders.

Another group of ligaments are the ones connecting the Scapula & Clavicle.

They are connected with a few different ligaments, at different parts of the bones.

The coracoid process and acromion are two parts of the scapula that stick out and hang on to ligaments that are tied to the clavicle.

The ligaments are:
Acromioclavicular - connects the clavicle to the acromion
Coracoclavicular - connects the clavicle to the coracoid process
Coracoacromial - connects the acromion to the coracoid process
Superior/inferior transverse scapular - covers part of the scapula to help hold nerves and blood vessels

(from: wikipedia - coracoacromial ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Brachial Plexus

Sternoclavicular Ligaments

We just learned about the Posterior Sacroiliac Ligament that connects your hip to your tailbone.

Another connective tissue way up by the shoulder is the Sternoclavicular Ligaments.

Remember the Sternum is the bone in the middle of your chest, and the Clavicle is the collar bone that connects the sternum to the shoulder.

There are 4 different Sternoclavicular ligaments, that connect to different parts of the body:

Anterior sternoclavicular (connects the clavicle to the front of the sternum)
Posterior sternoclavicular (connects the clavicle to the back of the sternum)
Interclavicular (connects the left and right clavicles)
Costoclavicular (connects the clavicle to the ribs)


(from: wikipedia - anterior sternoclavicular)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Coccygeal Plexus

Posterior Sacroiliac Ligament

We just learned about the Costoxiphoid Ligaments that connects the ribs to the xiphoid process.

Another piece of connective tissue is the Posterior Sacroiliac Ligament.

This is a large bunch of tissue that connects the sacrum (tailbone) to the ilium (hip bone), on the posterior (back) part of the body.


(from: wikipedia - posterior sacroiliac ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sacral Plexus

Costoxiphoid Ligaments

We just learned about the Superior Costotransverse Ligament that connects your spine to your ribs.

Another piece of connective tissue in the body is the Costoxiphoid Ligaments.

These are ligaments that connect the rib, sometimes named the "costo" to the xiphoid process in the middle of the chest.


(from: wikipedia - costoxiphoid ligaments)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lumbar Plexus

Superior Costotransverse Ligament

We just learned about the Radiate Ligament of Head of Rib that connects the ribs to the spine.

Another connective tissue in the body is the Superior Costotransverse Ligament.

This is a piece of tissue that connects the rib to the part of a vertebrae called the Transverse Process.
The transverse process sticks out from the back of the vertebrae in your spine, and the rib is tied to it by this ligament.


(from: wikipedia - vertebra)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Subcostal Nerve

Radiate Ligament of Head of Rib

We just learned about the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament that goes down the back of the spine.

Another piece of connective tissue is the Radiate Ligament of Head of Rib.

This ligament connects the rib bone to the vertebrae on your spine.


(from: wikipedia - radiate ligament of head of rib)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Intercostal Nerves

Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

We just learned about the Invertebral Disc that gives padding on the spine.

Another ligament that helps cushion the spine and hold it in place is the Posterior longitudinal ligament.
This connective tissue goes up and down in the middle of the spine.


(from: wikipedia - posterior longitudinal ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Intercostal Nerves

Intervertebral Disc

We just learned about the connective tissue the Supraspinous Ligament that goes over the back of your spine.

Another piece of connective tissue is the Intervertebral Disc, or the Intervertebral Fibrocartilage.

This is the piece of cartilage that is in between each of your vertebrae in your spine.

These discs protect each of your vertebrae from bumping against each other, and also helps hold them together.
They also work like shock absorbers so when you are jumping up and down, all the vertebrae in your spine have soft cushions between them.


(from: wikipedia - intervertebral disc)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cervical Plexus

Supraspinous ligament

We just learned about the Xiphoid Process in the chest.

Another two important pieces of connective tissue are the Supraspinous ligament and Nuchal ligament.

These ligaments are on the outside of the back of your spine, covering the bony part of the back of your spine.
The nuchal ligament goes from your head to the middle of your back, and the supraspinous ligament goes from your back all the way to the bottom of your spine.


(from: wikipedia - nuchal ligament)



(from: wikipedia - supraspinous ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Somatic Nervous System

Xiphoid Process

We just learned about the Costal Cartilage.

Another piece of connective tissue in the body is the Xiphoid Process.

This is a small piece of cartilage on the bottom of the sternum, in the middle of the chest.

The xiphoid process connects the chest to many other parts of the body, like the muscles used for breathing or moving your stomach area around.


(from: wikipedia - xiphoid process)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Coccygeal Nerves

Costal Cartilage

We just learned about the Temporomandibular Ligament.

Another piece of connective tissue is the Costal Cartilage.

This cartilage is in the chest, on the front part of the ribs where the ribs connect together in the middle of the chest.

With this cartilage in the ribs, it lets the rib cage move a little, which allows your chest to get bigger and smaller as you breathe.


(from: wikipedia - costal cartilage)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sacral Nerves

Temporomandibular Ligament

We just learned about the Skull Suture Tissue.

Another ligament is the Temporomandibular Ligament.

This is a ligament that connects the your bottom jaw to your head, right up by your ear.


(from: wikipedia - temporomandibular ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lumbar Nerves

Skull Suture Tissue

We just learned about Cartilage.

There are some types of connective tissue that we can feel, like the cartilage in our ears and noses, or ligaments and tendons in our arms and legs.

But connective tissue is all over the body, even in our skulls!
The bones of the skull are in different pieces, and the pieces are connected with things called sutures.

When a baby is born, the skull pieces are not connected tightly together, there is just connective tissue holding them together.
As the baby gets older, the bones get closer and eventually the sutures get hard and don't move anymore.

All the different parts of the skull that are connected have a little bit of connective tissue in between them to cushion where the bones are connected.

(from: wikipedia - frontal suture)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Thoracic Nerves

Cartilage

We just learned about the Dense Connective Tissue.

Another type of connective tissue is cartilage.

This is a type of tissue that covers and protects bones.

You can find cartilage in the rib cage, ear, nose, bronchial tubes, vertebral discs, and lots of other places in the body.

It is not as soft as muscle, but not as hard as bone.


(from: wikipedia - cartilage)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cervical Nerves

Dense Connective Tissue

We just learned about Sharpey's Fibres.

The tendons and ligaments we've learned about are examples of what is called Dense Connective Tissue.

This tissue is usually made up of the collagen we learned about, and dense connective tissue is also found in the dermis part of the skin that we learned about.



(from: wikipedia - dense irregular connective tissue)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Dorsal Root

Sharpey's Fibres

We just learned about the ligament.

We know that tendons connect muscles to bones.
The part where the tendon is actually connected to the bone is tied to the bones with something called Sharpey's Fibres.

These are made of collagen, and they are tied into the outer parts of the bone so that the muscle stays connected.


(from: wikipedia - sharpey's fibres)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anterior Roots

Ligament

We just learned about the Collagen.

Another type of connective tissue is the ligament.

We learned before that tendons connect muscle to bone.
Ligaments connect bones to other bones.


(from: wikipedia - ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Grey Column

Collagen

We just learned about Tendons.

Another part of connective tissue is Collagen.

This is mostly what tendons and other connective tissue are made up, along with skin and many other parts of the body.

Collagen is a protein, that under a microscope looks long and stringy and wraps around other collagen long strings.
These long strings all together work to make a bigger rope.

(from: wikipedia - collagen)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spinal Nerve

Tendon

We just learned a little about the Connective Tissue.

One type of connective tissue is a Tendon which connects muscle to bone.

Tendons are like a bunch of long thin ropes all bundled together, wrapped in and around the parts or your muscle, and then tied into your bone.

When your muscles tighten, the tendons stretch out until they are tight, just like a rope gets tighter when you pull on it.
As it gets tight, it pulls on the bone it is attached to, which is what moves your bone around.
So your bicep has tendons connected to your forearm, and when you want to bend your elbow, your biceps pulls on your tendon which pulls on the bone and it bends!

(from: wikipedia - tendon)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Foramen Magnum

Connective Tissue

We've learned a lot about the Integumentary System, everything from skin to hair to nails!

Another important part of the human body is all of the Connective Tissue that holds things together.
Tendons are connective tissue that connect muscle to bone, and ligaments connect bone to bone.
All of these types of cells are very important or our muscles and bones would not work together.
They are almost like the strings in a puppet, and without them we fall down!


(from: wikipedia - connective tissue)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spinal Cord