We truly hope you appreciate this list. In preparing this course we searched everywhere for an alphabetical list of bones in the human body. The two that we found were practically useless. We created this list from scratch. At the bottom of the page we’ve included a link to our printable version of the list. Enjoy!
| Calcaneus | Also known as the heel bone, this is a bone of the tarsus of the foot which constitutes the heel. |
| Capitate bone | The largest of the carpal bones in the human hand, and occupies the center of the wrist. |
| Cervical vertebrae | The seven vertebrae closest to the skull, Numbered C1–C7. |
| Clavicle | Also called the collarbone, this long bone serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in the human body that lies horizontally. |
| Coccygeal vertebrae | The three to five rudimentary segments of the vertebral column most distant from the skull, which fuse to form the coccyx. |
| Cuboid bone | One of the seven tarsal bones of the foot. It is located on the outer side of the foot, articulating in front with the calcaneus and lateral cuneiform, and behind with the fourth and fifth metatarsal bones. |
| Distal phalanges | Commonly known as the finger bones. These are the bones at the tips of the fingers. |
| Distal phalanges | Commonly known as the toe bones. These are the bones as the ends of the toes. |
| Ethmoid bone | A bone in the skull that separates the nasal cavity from the brain. It is located at the roof of the nose, between the two orbits. |
| False rib | Three pairs of ribsattached anteriorly to each other and to the 7th rib by cartilages and synovial joints. |
| Femur | Also called the thigh bone, this is the most proximal bone of the leg. It is the bone closest to the body. |
| Fibula | Also called the calf bone, this leg bone is located on the lateral side of the tibia, with which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones, and, in proportion to its length, the slenderest of all the long bones. |
| Floating rib | The two pairs of ribs that have no anterior attachment. |
| Frontal bone | A bone in the human skull. The bone consists of three portions: the squama frontalis, the pars orbitalis, and a nasal portion. |
| Hamate bone | A bone in the human wrist readily distinguishable by its wedge shape and a hook-like process. |
| Hip bone | Also called the coxal bone, this is a large flat bone composed of the ilium, ischium, and pubis, that are fused together in adult humans. |
| Humerus | A long bone in the upper arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. |
| Hyoid bone | A horseshoe-shaped bone located in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. |
| Ilium | The uppermost and largest bone of the pelvis. |
| Incus | A bone in the middle ear. The anvil-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The incus receives vibrations from the malleus, to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the stapes, medially. |
| Inferior nasal concha | Also called the inferior turbinal or turbinate. This bone extends horizontally along the lateral wall of the nasal cavity. |
| Intermediate cuneiform bone | This foot bone is located between the the medial and lateral cuneiform bones and articulates with the navicular posteriorly, the second metatarsal anteriorly and with the other cuneiforms bones. |
| Intermediate phalanges | Commonly known as the finger bones. These are the middle finger bones. |
| Intermediate phalanges | Commonly known as the toe bones. These are the middle toe bones. |
| Ischium | Lower and back part of the hip bone. |
| Lacrimal bone | The smallest and most fragile bone of the face. It is located at the front part of the medial wall of the orbit. |
| Lateral cuneiform bone | This foot bone occupies the center of the front row of the tarsal bones, between the intermediate cuneiform medially, the cuboid laterally, the navicular posteriorly and the third metatarsal in front. |
| Lumbar vertebrae | The five segments of the vertebral column between the twelfth thoracic vertebra and the sacrum. Numbered L1–L5. |
| Lunate bone | A carpal bone in the human hand. It is located in the center of the proximal row carpal bones, which lie between the ulna and radius and the hand. |
| Malleus | Also called the hammer, this is a hammer-shaped small bone or ossicle of the middle ear which connects with the incus and is attached to the inner surface of the eardrum. It transmits the sound vibrations from the eardrum to the incus. |
| Mandible | Also called the inferior maxillary bone, this is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the face. It forms the lower jaw. |
| Maxilla | The two maxilla bones form the upper jaw and palate of the mouth. |
| Medial cuneiform bone | This bone is located at the medial side of the foot, anterior to the navicular bone and posterior to the base of the first metatarsal. |
| Metacarpus | The intermediate part of the hand skeleton that is located between the phalanges (bones of the fingers) and the carpus which forms the connection to the forearm. |
| Nasal bone | Two small oblong bones that are side by side at the middle and upper part of the face. By their junction, these bones form the bridge of the nose. |
| Navicular bone | This bone is located on the medial side of the foot, and articulates proximally with the talus, distally with the three cuneiform bones, and laterally with the cuboid. |
| Occipital bone | A saucer-shaped membrane bone located at the back and lower part of the skull. |
| Palatine bone | Paired bones of the skull that are located at the back part of the nasal cavity. |
| Parietal bone | Two bones in the human skull which, when joined together to form the sides and roof of the cranium. |
| Patella | Also called the kneecap or kneepan. This is a thick, circular-triangular bone which articulates with the femur and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. |
| Pisiform bone | Also called the pisiforme bone, this, is a small knobbly, pea-shaped sesamoid bone that is found in the wrist. It forms the ulnar border of the carpal tunnel. |
| Proximal phalanges | Commonly known as the finger bones. These are the finger bones closest to the wrist. |
| Proximal phalanges | Commonly known as the toe bones. These are the toe bones closest to the ankle. |
| Pubis | Also called the pubic bone, this is the ventral and anterior of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis. |
| Radius | Also called the radial bone, this is one of the two large bones of the forearm, the other being the ulna. It extends from the lateral side of the elbow to the thumb side of the wrist and runs parallel to the ulna, which exceeds it in length and size. |
| Sacral vertebrae | The segments of the vertebral column below the lumbar vertebrae, which normally fuse to form the sacrum. Numbered S1–S5. |
| Scaphoid bone | One of the carpal bones of the wrist. It is located between the hand and forearm on the thumb side of the wrist, which is also called the lateral or radial side. It forms the radial border of the carpal tunnel. |
| Scapula | Also called the shoulder blade, this bone connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). |
| Sesamoid bones | One of the five long bones that form the anterior portion of the foot. |
| Sphenoid bone | An unpaired bone located in the middle of the skull towards the front, in front of the temporal bone and basilar part of the occipital bone. The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bones that articulate to form the orbit. Its shape somewhat resembles that of a butterfly or bat with its wings extended. |
| Stapes | A bone in the middle ear of humans which is involved in the conduction of sound vibrations to the inner ear. The stirrup-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The stapes receives vibrations from the incus, to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the oval window, medially. |
| Sternum | A long flat bone, also called breastbone. Although it is fused, the sternum can be sub-divided into three regions: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process. |
| Talus | Also known as the ankle bone, this bone forms the lower part of the ankle joint through its articulations with the lateral and medial malleoli of the two bones of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula. |
| Temporal bone | Two bones located at the sides and base of the skull. |
| Thoracic vertebrae | The 12 segments of the vertebral column between the cervical and the lumbar vertebrae. Numbered T1–T12. |
| Tibia | Also known as the shinbone or shankbone, this is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee. It connects the knee with the ankle bones. |
| Trapezium | Also called the greater multangular bone, this is a carpal bone in the wrist. It forms the radial border of the carpal tunnel. |
| Trapezoid bone | Also called the lesser multangular bone. this is a carpal bone and is the smallest bone in the distal row. |
| Triquetrum bone | Also called triquetrum, pyramidal, three-cornered or triangular bone, and formerly cuneiform bone. This bone is located in the wrist on the medial side of the proximal row of the carpus between the lunate and pisiform bones. |
| True rib | The seven pairs of ribs attached directly to the sternum. |
| Ulna | Also called the elbow bone, this is one of the two long bones in the forearm. It is prismatic in form and runs parallel to the radius, which is shorter and smaller. In anatomical position, the ulna is located at the side of the forearm closest to the body. |
| Vomer | One of the unpaired facial bones of the skull. It is located in the midsagittal line, and articulates with the sphenoid, the ethmoid, the left and right palatine bones, and the left and right maxillary bones. |
| Zygomatic bone | Also called the cheekbone, this is a paired bone which articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. It is located at the upper and lateral part of the face and forms the prominence of the cheek, part of the lateral wall and floor of the orbit, and parts of the temporal and infratemporal fossa. |
We also offer a printable list of bones in the human body.