A typical adult human skeleton commonly consists of 206, 208 or more bones depending on the method used in counting normal variations. The count of 208 considers the sternum to be made up of three bones instead of one; manubrium, body of sternum (also known as the gladiolus) and xiphoid process. Anatomical variation may also result in the formation of more or fewer bones. More common variations include cervical ribs or an additional lumbar vertebra. Babies are born with around 300 to 350 bones, many of which fuse together during growth.
