The axial skeleton includes the skull, ribs, and spine.
Most of our vital organs—such as the brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs—are protected by bony armor. Yet each region of the body is shielded differently.
The skull provides a helmet around the brain. Vertebrae surround the spinal cord, like beads on a string; think of the string as the spinal cord and the beads as the vertebrae. Ribs are like flexible bands that protect against blows but also expand and contract as a person breathes.
