Question

Define pneumatic bones.

Answer 1

Bones are mineralized connective tissues which are made up of four kinds of cells - osteocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts and bone lining cells. The entire human body is made up of 206 bones.

Complete Answer:
- Pneumatic bones are found in birds and they are hollow bones. It's a bone that contains several air cells and therefore is hollow.The pneumatic bones are: Frontal. Sphenoid. Ethmoid.
- Pneumatic bones help to shed unnecessary weight which may cause issues with the flight dynamics of the bird. The pneumatic bones are generally porus in contrast to the mammalian bones.

The major two responsibilities or function of pneumatic bones:
1. They help in facilitating an unique respiratory system - The flight requires a very high rate of metabolism which in turn requires a constant supply of oxygen rich air.
2. They also reduce the weight of the bird - As the weight of the bird is reduced less energy is used during flying.

Additional information: The other adaptations seen in birds which can help them in flight are,
- They have elongated necks which allows for adjustments in the center of gravity.
- They have smaller heads when compared to the mammals making the weight of birds less and also the flight less weird.
- They have beak instead of teeth as they also help in reducing the overall weight of the bird.

Note: So, pneumatic bones are hollow bones which are not only seen in birds but are also seen in humans too. The nasal cavity in humans is an example of pneumatic bones which encloses the paranasal sinuses.