How many bones are in a typical adult skeleton?

The typical adult human skeleton consists of 206 bones. This number can vary slightly from person to person due to anatomical variations, such as extra bones that may develop in certain individuals, known as accessory bones. However, the standard count in adult humans is widely accepted as 206.

During childhood, humans have approximately 270 bones, but as they grow, some of these bones fuse together, which results in the reduction to the adult count of 206. Hence, understanding this process of bone fusion helps clarify why the standard count of bones is 206 in adults.