Name the three functions the skeleton performs in the body.
The skeleton functions in three important ways: 1) as the structure that striated muscle pulls against, 2) as the structure that maintains the body's shape, and 3) as the structure that protects the vital organs. With regard to the third function, the skull and the vertebral column protect the brain and spinal chord, and the rib cage protects the organs of the thoracic cavity.
