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The musculoskeletal system consists of the bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
Function
Function
The function of the musculoskeletal system is to:
- protect and support the internal structures and organs of the body
- allow movement
- give shape to the body
- produce blood cells
- store calcium and phosphorus.
The major bone structures of the body
The skeletal system
The skeletal system
The skeletal system is comprised of bones and joints and provides the basic supporting structure of the body. It consists of the joined framework of bones called the skeleton. The human skeleton is made up of 206 bones.
Activity - Skeletal system
Activity - Skeletal system
Explore the interactive skeleton below to reveal the names of the bones.
Bone is a dry, dense tissue composed of a calcium-phosphorus mineral and organic matter and water. Bone is covered with a living membrane called the periosteum. The periosteum contains bone-forming cells, the osteoblasts.
The centre of bone contains marrow where blood vessels, fat cells and tissue for manufacturing blood cells are all found.
There are four main shapes of bones:
- flat e.g. ribs
- irregular e.g. vertebrae
- short e.g. hand (carpals)
- long e.g. upper arm (humerus)
The major bones in the skeleton are:
- Scapula
- Skull
- Pelvis
- Meta carpals
- Meta tarsals
- Fibula
- Capals
- Tarsals
- Femur
- Vertebrae
- Sternum
- Patella
- Phalanges
- Feet phalanges
- Tibia.
Joints
Joints
A joint is an area where two or more bones are in contact with each other. Joints allow movement. The bones forming the joint are held together by ligaments.
There are 3 types of joints:
- Fibrous or immovable e.g. skull
- Cartilaginous or slightly movable e.g. vertebrae
- Synovial or freely movable:
- ball and socket e.g. hip
- hinge e.g. elbow.
- gliding e.g. carpals at wrist
- pivot e.g. radius and ulna.
Movement
There are certain terms that are used to describe the movement of bones:
- abduction - movement away from the body
- adduction - movement towards the body
- flexion - bending a limb towards the body
- extension - extending a limb away from the body
- rotation - movement around a central point.
For more information visit General anatomy and physiology to watch animated bone movements.
The muscular system
The muscular system
The muscular system allows the body to move. The human body is composed of over 500 muscles working together to facilitate movement.
It is very important to understand the muscular system and how it works in conjunction with the skeletal system to allow us to move and maintain our posture.
The major function of the muscular system is to produce movements of the body, to maintain the position of the body against the force of gravity and to produce movements of structures inside the body.
Major muscles group - anterior view
Structure
Structure
Tendons attach muscle to bone.
There are 3 types of muscles:
- Skeletal (voluntary) muscles are attached to bone by tendons
- Smooth (involuntary) muscles control the actions of our gut and blood vessels
- Cardiac muscle in the heart.
Muscles contract (shorten) and relax in response to chemicals and the stimulation by a motor nerve. Some examples of muscles are the triceps, deltoid and the biceps in the upper arm and the gluteal muscle, the hamstrings and the quadriceps in the buttocks and the top of the leg.
Activity
Activity
Explore the female and male muscular systems to identify the location and names of the major muscle groups.
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