The skeleton provides a strong, internal framework that supports the body, makes up about 20 percent of it;s weight and consists of 206 bones. These bones meet at joint, the majority of which are freely moveable, making the skeleton flexible and mobile. The skeleton also contains cartilage and ligament. Cartilage is a tough, flexible connective tissue that forms the frameworks of the ear and nose,links the ribs to the sternum and covers the ends of bones inside the joints