In human anatomy, how many bones are there in an adult human skeleton?

The human adult skeleton typically contains 206 bones. This number is reached after the process of ossification, where some of the bones that are found in infants—such as certain cranial bones and the bones in the spine—fuse together as a person matures. This fusion results in a slightly lower total number of bones in adults compared to infants, who have around 270 bones.

The number 206 is generally accepted in the field of anatomy, as it accounts for the standard structure of the human skeleton, including the axial skeleton (the skull, vertebral column, and rib cage) and the appendicular skeleton (the bones of the limbs). Knowing this helps in the study of anatomy and understanding how the skeletal structure supports and protects the body.