Editing Skeleton (section)

{{Short description|Part of the body that forms the supporting structure}}
{{about|skeletons in general|the human skeleton|Human skeleton|other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox anatomy
|Name = Skeleton
|Greek = σκελετός
|Image = Horse and Man.jpg
|Caption = A [[Skeletal system of the horse|horse]] and [[human skeleton]] placed in a display at  [[Australian Museum]] in Sydney
|Image2 =
}}
A '''skeleton''' is the [[structural frame]] that supports the body of most [[animal]]s. There are several types of skeletons, including the [[exoskeleton]], which is a rigid outer shell that holds up an organism's shape; the [[endoskeleton]], a rigid internal frame to which the [[organ (biology)|organ]]s and [[soft tissue]]s attach; and the [[hydroskeleton]], a flexible internal structure supported by the [[hydrostatic pressure]] of [[body fluid]]s.

[[Vertebrate]]s are animals with an endoskeleton centered around an [[Axial skeleton|axial]] [[vertebral column]], and their skeletons are typically composed of [[bone]]s and [[cartilage]]s. [[Invertebrate]]s are other animals that lack a vertebral column, and their skeletons vary, including hard-shelled exoskeleton ([[arthropod]]s and most [[mollusc]]s), plated internal shells (e.g. [[cuttlebone]]s in some [[cephalopod]]s) or rods (e.g. [[ossicle (echinoderm)|ossicle]]s in [[echinoderm]]s), hydrostatically supported body [[Body cavity|cavities]] (most), and [[sponge spicule|spicule]]s ([[sponge]]s). Cartilage is a rigid [[connective tissue]] that is found in the skeletal systems of vertebrates and invertebrates.