Script!
Members:
Lisa - Assistant for Andreas
Olivia - Andreas Vesalius
Georgina - Host
Roxy - Co-Host
(Theme
music)
Georgina-Hello and welcome to… How Things
Work! This week we’ve been looking at body systems and today we are going to
look at the skeletal system. I’m your host Georgina.
Today we
are joined by Andreas Vesalius, the scientist who discovered the skeletal system;
he has travelled in time to be with us today. Tell us Andreas, just what is the
skeletal system and how does it work?
Roxy-Good morning ladies, thank you for
having me today. The skeletal system is basically the body’s framework. It
supports your body and works with your muscles to move it. The system also
protects our squashy insides such as our brain and heart.
Our bones
make up our skeletal system along with cartilage, ligament, tendons and joints.
Joints are
pretty much what make our skeleton move. There are 6 types:
- Ball and socket joints
- Pivot joints
- Hinge joints
- Saddle joints
- Condyloid joints
- Plane joints
On our
skeletal system here we can see the ball and socket joints
(Points
to shoulder)
This joint
is only found in the shoulder and hip.
(Points
to hip)
This joint
allows all round movement for example swinging your arm around.
The next
joint here is the pivot joint. It allows rotating movement such as shaking or
nodding your head.
(Points
to neck)
This joint
is called a hinge joint.
(Points
to leg bone)
It makes
closing and opening movements such as bending your arm back and forth.
This next
joint is called the saddle joint.
(Points
to thumb)
It is only
found in the thumb. It allows it to rotate and touch the other fingers.
This joint
is called the condyloid joint.
(Points
to arm and wrist bones)
It allows
up, down and side to side movements.
The last
joint I’ll show you is called the plane joint. The ankle and wrist bones are
held closely together. This joint allows the bones to perform short, gliding
movements.
That’s how
each bone works to move.
Georgina-Thank you for that descriptive
explanation about the joints. Now tell me Andreas, I know bones are strong and
rigid, but what happens if they break?
Roxy-Well obviously when a bone is
broken, it can’t function. If a bone is broken you can’t move that part of the
body, so the body starts to repair itself.
For
example: Within hours a blood clod has formed between the broken bone ends.
This seals the blood vessel that had been damaged by the break.
Within
weeks the bones outer covering has sealed over, the blood vessels have grown back
and the new spongy bone has been laid down to link the broken ends.
Within
months a new central cavity has been formed and new compact bone has been laid
down. The bone has started to return to its original shape.
Georgina-Wow! That’s so cool! So Andreas, I
feel we’ve talked about bones a lot, why don’t we talk about you for a while?
Roxy-Very well then! What do you want to
know?
Georgina-Why don’t we start off with a bit of
background information about you and then we can talk about your discovery and
what it tells us about the system.
Roxy-Okay, well firstly let me tell you
that in 1543, I published a book that people found influential on human
anatomy. This book, I called “De humani corporis fabrcia”, which translated to
English means “The Fabric of the Human Body”. This book contained what I
discovered about the human body with was that we had a framework which I called
the skeleton that supported the Human Body. I found that this skeleton was
keeping us upright and in one piece.
Throughout
my discovery, I found:
- Many of Galen’s theories were wrong which I stated
in my book under the extensive study of the skull. For example, I found that the mandible consisted of one
bone, whereas Galen had thought it was two separate bones. I accurately described
the vestibule in the interior of the temporal bone of the skull.
- In Galen's observation of the ape, he had
discovered that their sternum consisted of seven parts which
he assumed held true for humans. I however discovered that the human sternum only consisted of three parts.
- I also disproved the common belief
that men had one rib fewer than women and I noted that fibula and tibia bones of the leg were indeed
larger than the humerus bone of the arm, unlike Galen's original findings.
I am told
now that modern medicine is in debt to the effort that I put forth to provide
the most accurate form of the human body. I am told by scientists that I have
met in this century that I was able to provide clear descriptions
and extraordinary anatomical drawings that set a new standard for future
medical books like to organise and keep my work neat and clear. I am
privileged to hear that my work will be used in future developments.
Georgina-Well that’s very enlightening.
(Looks at watch) I think we have time for 1 more question.
Roxy-Okay, what’s the question.
Georgina-What are the new discoveries that
science and medicine have been made to overcome injuries or diseases related to
the skeletal system?
Roxy-Well maybe you should ask my
assistant Lisa this question; she’s the one who knows most about this particular
area.
(Lisa
walks in and sits down)
Georgina-Welcome Lisa, so what can you tell
us about the new discoveries?
Lisa-Well firstly, we need to understand
what types of common injuries or diseases that could occur that are associated
with the skeletal system.
For example
there are many types of fractures that can occur to the skeletal system. The 2
most common fractures that can occur are the open fracture and the depressed
fracture.
The open
fracture is a fracture that occurs when a broken bone
pirces the skin and the bone sticks out. This type of fracture requires immediate
treatment and often requires surgery to re-set the bone fragments and repair
the damaged skin.
The
depressed fracture is a type of fracture usually
occurs to flat bones such as the ones that make up the skull. This type of
fracture is due to a blunt force trauma that is inclined to break the bone
inwards toward the brain.
I’m
sure you have all heard of arthritis. This is a disease cause’s damage to the
joints and usually results into pain and stiffness. Arthritis can affect many
different parts of the joint and nearly every joint in the body.
I can tell
you that a new discovery that was discovered by the Queensland Medical Centre
last year found that a drug used today to treat rheumatoid arthritis, might be
effective in treating asthma symptoms. This means that these two conditions
could be useful to one another in finding treatment to these symptoms.
Also,
different types of medicines have been discovered to relieve that pain that
comes to arthritis patients. Some of these include: Oral tablets, paracetamol,
NSAIDs, Strontium and so many other drugs.
Another
discovery made is about a disease associated with the skeletal system called
Leukaemia. I’m sure you all have heard about Leukaemia but probably don’t know
what it is. Leukaemia is a kind of cancer in which
abnormal white blood cells multiply in an uncontrolled manner. They interfere
with the production of normal white blood cells. Leukemia affects the
production of red blood cells.
A
new discovery made in medicine to prevent Leukaemia from returning after
treatment. This life-preserving discovery was made by British researches in the
form of a vaccine. After the patient has had
treatment for leukaemia and bone marrow transplant, this vaccine is given and
it stops the leukaemia from returning.
There
have been many amazing discoveries over the past couple years with injuries and
diseases associated with the skeletal system.
Georina-Well, thank you Andreas and Lisa for coming today. I’m sure our
viewers really enjoyed your talk and learnt a lot more about the skeletal
system. I know I did!
Roxy-Thank you for having us.
Georgina-Next episode folks we’ll be looking at the digestive system. Stay
tuned for that exciting segment! Thank you and we’ll see you soon!
End of script!!!!!!!!!
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