Humans are born with about 300 bones, but these fuse together as we grow. By the time a person is an adult, they only have 206 bones. One of the most obvious cases of bones fusing is that of the human skull. Although babies have a soft spot on their heads, as they grow, the bones of the skull fuse and harden, covering it. This fusing doesn't happen overnight though: the last bone solidifies in the body around the age of 18.
More talking points about bones:
- The adult human skull is comprised of 22 bones.
- Most bones in the human body do not directly touch any other bone. They are separated by ligaments, muscles, and cartilage. This is actually a good thing, since it can be very painful when bones grind against each other, as in the case of someone with severe arthritis.
- Only about 3% of animals that possess a backbone or spine.