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The Skeletal System - Extra: Is The Funny Bone Really Funny?

Is The Funny Bone Really Funny? Actually, the funny bone has nothing to do with laughter. In fact, it isn't even a bone at all. It is really a nerve called the ulnar nerve. But, it runs right next to the "humerus." Get it? "Humerus." That's where "funny bone" comes from. When you bend your elbow, you have this ulnar nerver that is much easier to get to than most nerves are. So, when you hit your elbow, the nerve also gets whacked and begins to send messages that travel all the way up your arm, to your spinal cord and along your spinal cord to your brain. The result: a tingling sensation that shoots from your elbow, where the impact occurred, to the tip of your little finger (which is where the nerve ends). That's why it hurts. Not so funny, is it? (Sources include: Science Web, Guardian Return to the Skeleton

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