The heavy, long bone that forms the leg above the knee is called the _____.

• A. Tibia
• B. Fibula
• C. Femur
• D. Humerus

Answer: (C)

The bone you’re talking about is the femur, the thigh bone. It’s the body’s longest and strongest bone, running from the hip down to the knee. The femur bears most of the body's weight and acts as a lever for the muscles that straighten and bend the leg. At the top, its head fits into the hip socket to form the hip joint, and at the bottom, its rounded condyles interact with the tibia to form the knee joint. The other options sit in different places: the tibia is the larger bone in the lower leg (the shin), the fibula is the thinner bone alongside the tibia, and the humerus is the bone of the upper arm.