Dear Dr. Universe: Do animals have the same types of bones and muscles as humans?

Lydia, 8The short answer is yes, said my friend Leslie Sprunger, a veterinarian and professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. But, as always, there's a catch.When we look closely at bones and muscles, they are similar across species. You'd need a microscope to see this, but it would show the tiny living cells that make up animals' bones and muscles.Without these cells that form muscles and bones, we'd all just be piles on the floor.Some of these cells break down bone, form new bone, sense damage, or bring in calcium to keep bones strong. Some cells will bundle up together to form muscles that help your body pump blood, lift things, breathe, and move around."One thing you can say is the reason a human looks different than a dog, a cat, a horse, or an elephant is really about the differences in the shapes of the bones and muscles," Sprunger said. "They form the structure of the body."Humans have 206 bones, while the average cat has about 244 bones. Sometimes, it's the number of bones and muscles that makes a difference in how an animal moves around."How animals are put together has a lot to do with what they are doing on a daily basis," Sprunger said. "Does the animal walk on two feet and use it's hands like we do? Or does it walk on all four feet? Does it run fast to catch dinner, or stand around and graze? Or does it climb trees to catch dinner?"Giraffes reach their long necks up to get dinner from trees. They actually have the same number of neck bones as humans do, but humans don't need to reach up into trees to get their dinner, so their neck bones are smaller.