skeleta

Skeleta is a term used in biology and mathematics to refer to skeletal structures or frameworks. Broadly, a skeleton provides shape, support, and organization, and the plural form skeleta appears in various scientific writings when discussing multiple skeletal systems or the mathematical concept of skeletons in a space.

In biology, skeleta describe the structural framework of organisms. Endoskeletons are internal support frameworks composed of bone and cartilage, as found in vertebrates. Exoskeletons are external coverings that provide protection and support, as seen in many invertebrates such as arthropods. Hydrostatic skeletons rely on fluid-filled body compartments to generate shape and movement. Skeletal systems enable locomotion through muscles attached to the bones or other rigid structures, protect vital organs, store minerals, and, in many vertebrates, house bone marrow responsible for blood cell production.

Bones grow and change through processes of modeling and remodeling, ensuring strength and integrity throughout life. The skeleton also plays a major role in mineral storage, particularly calcium and phosphorus, and in maintaining mineral balance. Disorders of skeletal systems include osteoporosis, arthritis, fractures, and congenital skeletal malformations, which can affect mobility and health.

In mathematics and related fields, the skeleton of a space or complex is a lower-dimensional substructure that preserves essential connectivity. The k-skeleton of a simplicial complex consists of all simplices of dimension at most k; the 0-skeleton is the vertex set, and the 1-skeleton is the underlying graph. In computer vision and image processing, skeletonization refers to methods that reduce shapes to simplified skeletal representations for analysis.