What Is A Fontanelle?

There are 29 bones in the skull and the face is made from 14 bones. The bones of the skull do not move but they show amazing patterns of growth during our lives. When we are born the different plates are not joined together. They are separated by gaps and these are the fontanelles. They allow the skull to be squashed during birth without causing damage. During childhood, the fontanelles close up and the bones become fused together.

This fusion process is one of the reasons why, at birth, a baby has 350 bones in its skeleton but the average adult has only 206 bones.

Different parts of the body have different kinds of bone. Bones look solid but when you look inside them you can see only the outside is solid. Inner parts of bones look like a honeycomb. This looks delicate but it is actually very strong. It also makes the bone lighter so that movement is easier. The long bones in the arms and legs are hollow and contain bone marrow. They have an important support function in the body but the bone marrow is a manufacturing point for new white blood cells.

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