Which statement about a skeleton is accurate?

Which statement about a skeleton is accurate?

• A. A skeleton is the external fur or hair covering an animal.
• B. A skeleton is the soft tissue that fills the body cavities.
• C. A skeleton is the internal framework of bones in an animal's body that provides structure and support.
• D. A skeleton is the network of blood vessels supplying bones.

Answer: (C)

The skeleton is the internal framework of bones that provides structure and support for the body. This framework gives the body its shape, acts as a rigid scaffold for attachment of muscles to enable movement, and protects vital organs like the brain, heart, and lungs. Bones also store minerals such as calcium and phosphorus and house bone marrow, where blood cells are made. While bones contain blood vessels, the defining idea is that the skeleton is the internal bony framework, not external hair, not soft tissue filling body cavities, and not merely a network of blood vessels. That makes the statement describing the skeleton as the internal framework of bones that provides structure and support the accurate one.

The skeleton is the internal framework of bones that provides structure and support for the body. This framework gives the body its shape, acts as a rigid scaffold for attachment of muscles to enable movement, and protects vital organs like the brain, heart, and lungs. Bones also store minerals such as calcium and phosphorus and house bone marrow, where blood cells are made. While bones contain blood vessels, the defining idea is that the skeleton is the internal bony framework, not external hair, not soft tissue filling body cavities, and not merely a network of blood vessels. That makes the statement describing the skeleton as the internal framework of bones that provides structure and support the accurate one.