Advanced Subsidiary (AS) WJEC Physical Education (PE) Practice Test

Weight bearing mainly relies on the structure of long bones. Their long shafts and thick cortical bone give them the strength to resist bending and compressive forces, allowing them to transfer body weight from joints like the hip, knee, and ankle down to the feet. This design makes long bones the primary weight-bearing elements in the limbs. Short bones, by contrast, are small and cube-shaped, providing stability and spreading load over a local area rather than carrying the body's full weight. Flat bones protect organs and offer broad surfaces for muscle attachment, not for bearing large loads, while sesamoid bones sit within tendons to improve leverage and protect tendons rather than bear weight across a limb.