Steve 'Tritch, age 8, of Atlantic City, N.J.,for his question: /
HOW MANY BONES ARE IN EACH FOOT?
In animals that walk on all four feet or legs, the ends of the front and hind limbs are much the same. But in humans, birds and animals such as the kangaroo that walk on their hind limbs, the foot is heavier and stronger than its counterpart on the forelimb.
In humans, the foot is important for standing and walking. To help make it sturdy, each human foot is made up of 26 bones.
In the human foot there are seven tarsals, or ankle bones; five metatarsals, or instep bones; and 14 phalanges, or toe bones.
The tarsal bones are the talus, calcaneus, navicular, cuboid and three cuneiform bones. They form the heel and back part of the instep.
The big toe has two phalanges. Each of the other toes has three. The end of the phalanges meet the underside of the metatarsals to form the ball of the foot.
The bones of the human foot form three arches, two running lengthwise and one running across the instep. The arches provide the natural elastic spring of the foot in walking or jumping.
The main arch reaches the long medial or plantar arch. This arch presses down on the ground only at the heel and ball of the foot and thus prevents jars which might shock the spinal column.
A thick layer of flexible cartilage covers the end of the bonearch shock absorbent.
The lateral arch runs along the outside of the foot and the traverse or metatarsal
When there is a breakdown on the arches of the foot, a condition known
Ligaments and muscles support the arches of the foot. The long plantar ligament is very strong. It keeps the bones of the foot in place and protects the nerves, muscles and blood vessels in the hollow of the foot.
The foot has as many muscles as the hand. But its structure permits less flexibility and freedom of movement than does that of the hand.
Tough, thick skin covers the sole, or bottom, of the foot. A thick pad of fatty tissue lies between the skin and the bones and the plantar ligament. This layer of fat acts like an air cushion to protect the inner parts of the foot from pressure on the foot and from jarring.
Disorders of the foot, such as corns, often come about as a result of wearing badly fitted shoes.