The axial skeleton is the central core of the human skeleton, consisting of the skull, vertebral column, rib cage, and sternum.
The skull is made up of various bones that protect the brain and provide a framework for the face. The vertebral column, or spine, is a series of individual bones called vertebrae that protect the spinal cord and support the weight of the upper body. The rib cage is made up of the ribs, which are attached to the thoracic vertebrae at the back and the sternum at the front, and protect the organs in the chest. The sternum, or breastbone, is a flat bone located in the middle of the chest and serves as the attachment site for the ribs.
Limbs and limb girdles, on the other hand, make up the appendicular skeleton, which includes the bones of the arms, legs, hands, and feet, as well as the girdles that attach them to the axial skeleton.
Lumbar and thoracic vertebrae are part of the vertebral column, which is already included in the axial skeleton. Therefore, the axial skeleton is made up of the skull, vertebral column, rib cage, and sternum, which form the central axis of the human body.