Bones are harder than most parts of the body and contain much matter that is not alive. There are normally 206 bones in the human body, forming the skeleton .
Bones support all parts of the body and protect the brain and organs of the chest.
Bones of the leg can be nearly two feet long, but the tiny bones of the middle ear are less than an eighth of an inch long, with the rest of the skeleton in between in size. The main function of the bones is to provide support and protection, but bones also have other vital functions. They are part of the circulatory system for example, since a soft material inside of long bones, called red marrow, produces the body's blood cells. Bones are also part of the hormonal system . They are an important reservoir for minerals such as calcium.