Question

question 44

there are ______ bones in a newborn compared with the average number in an adult.

a. more
b. fewer
c. the same number of

Explanation:

Compare newborn and adult bone counts

We begin by examining the basic principles of Skeletal Anatomy regarding the total number of bones at different stages of human development. An adult human skeleton typically consists of 206 distinct bones. In contrast, a newborn infant is born with approximately 270 to 300 bones.

Explain the developmental process

The reason for this difference lies in skeletal development. A newborn's skeleton contains significantly more cartilage and separate bone segments that have not yet fused. As a child grows, these separate segments undergo ossification and fuse together to form larger, single bones (such as the bones of the skull, sacrum, and hip).

Determine the correct option

Since a newborn has around 300 bones and an adult has 206, there are more bones in a newborn compared with the average number in an adult. This directly corresponds to option A.

Answer:

• (A) more (Correct answer)
• (B) fewer
• (C) the same number of