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The musculoskeletal system is made up of bones, muscles, and joints. Bones give our bodies shape and support and protect our organs and systems. They also store minerals like calcium. Muscles help control our movements and some body systems, such as digestion. They also help the body with functions such as chewing food and moving it through the digestive system. They also help the heart beat and the chest rise and fall during breathing. The strength of our muscles and bones is maintained through physical activity. Muscles also act as shock absorbers, protecting the bones from the impact of external forces.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscles protect bones by | Absorbing mechanical impacts |
| Absorbing shock | |
| Acting as a nonlinear spring to slow down impact | |
| Acting as a viscous damper to absorb the impact | |
| Holding the skeleton together | |
| Maintaining the right balance between muscle and bone strength |
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What You'll Learn
Muscles protect bones by absorbing mechanical impacts
The musculoskeletal system, which includes bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, gives the body its structure and support, allows for movement, and protects organs. Bones are strong tissues made of collagen and calcium phosphate, and they act as the body's main form of structural support.
Muscles are made of tightly woven, stretchy fibers, and they help control movement and some body systems, such as digestion. They also help generate heat in the body, protect organs, and maintain posture. When a person wants to move, the brain signals a muscle to contract, and it shortens, pulling one bone toward another across a joint.
Muscles play a critical role in protecting bones by absorbing mechanical impacts. The dissipation of mechanical energy from external impacts to absorb shock is hypothesized to be a fundamental function of skeletal muscle. This absorption of shock by muscles is thought to have been an important factor in biological evolution, allowing life to move from the ocean to land.
The viscosity of skeletal muscle is a variable parameter that can be voluntarily controlled by changing the tension of the contracting muscle. When muscles contract, the viscosity increases dramatically with load, suppressing the propagation of shear waves in the transverse direction at loads over 0.8 kg. This increased viscosity helps to slow down and absorb the impact, acting as a nonlinear spring and a viscous damper.
In addition to their role in impact absorption, muscles also exert contractile force onto the skeleton, influencing bone growth and loss. The frequency, rate, magnitude, and distribution of these forces provide the bone with its primary delivery of mechanical load, highlighting the importance of muscle size and strength in enhancing and protecting bone size and strength.
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Bones and muscles work together to make the body move
Bones, muscles, and joints work together to make up the musculoskeletal system. Bones give our bodies shape, support and protect our organs and systems. They also help us move. The skull, for instance, protects the brain and forms the shape of the face. The spinal cord, a pathway for messages between the brain and the body, is protected by the backbone, or spinal column. The ribs form a cage that shelters the heart and lungs, and the pelvis helps protect the bladder, part of the intestines, and in women, the reproductive organs. Bones are made up of a framework of a protein called collagen, with a mineral called calcium phosphate that makes the framework hard and strong.
Bones are fastened to other bones by long, fibrous straps called ligaments. Cartilage, a flexible, rubbery substance in our joints, supports bones and protects them where they rub against each other. The thin, dense membrane on the surface of the bone, called the periosteum, contains nerves and blood vessels that help nourish bone tissue. Compact bone is the solid, hard outside part of the bone. It is strong, solid, and whitish in color. Cancellous bone, also known as spongy bone, is located inside the compact bone and has bone marrow filling its spaces. Bone marrow makes most of the body's red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Muscles help control our movements and some body systems, such as digestion. They pull on the joints, allowing us to move. They also help the body with tasks such as chewing food and then moving it through the digestive system. Even when we sit perfectly still, muscles throughout the body are constantly moving. They help the heart beat, the chest rise and fall during breathing, and blood vessels regulate the pressure and flow of blood. When we smile and talk, muscles help us communicate, and when we exercise, they help us stay physically fit and healthy.
Skeletal muscles are attached by cord-like tendons to bone, such as in the legs, arms, and face. They help hold the skeleton together, give the body shape, and help with everyday movements. When we want to move, our brain tells a muscle to contract, and it shortens, pulling one bone toward another across a joint. Skeletal muscles work in pairs — when one shortens, a corresponding muscle lengthens. For example, when you contract your bicep, your tricep lengthens.
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Bones are strengthened by muscles pulling on them
Bones play a crucial role in giving our bodies shape, supporting our organs and systems, and enabling movement. They also store minerals like calcium and release it into the bloodstream when needed. Bones are constantly changing through a process called remodelling, where bone cells replace old or damaged bone tissue and build new, healthy bone tissue.
Muscles, on the other hand, are responsible for controlling our movements and various bodily functions, such as chewing food and digestion. They are attached to bones by tendons, which are made of strong fibrous connective tissue. When we move, our brains instruct the muscles to contract, causing them to shorten and pull on the bones across joints. This contraction of muscles allows us to bend and straighten our limbs at the joints. For example, when we bend our elbow, the bicep muscle in the front of the upper arm contracts, and then relaxes as the tricep muscle at the back of the upper arm contracts to straighten the elbow.
The strength of our muscles and bones is directly impacted by physical activity. Regular exercise makes our muscles and bones stronger, while a lack of activity leads to weaker muscles and bones. This occurs because muscles and bones respond to exercise in tandem. As muscles grow stronger through exercise, they pull harder on the bones, stimulating the bones to strengthen themselves. This natural process helps maintain the right balance between muscle strength and bone strength, ensuring that neither becomes too strong or too weak in relation to the other.
Therefore, it is accurate to say that "bones are strengthened by muscles pulling on them." The act of muscles pulling on bones during movement and exercise stimulates bone strengthening, contributing to the overall structural integrity and functionality of the musculoskeletal system.
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Bones also protect the body's organs
Bones play a crucial role in protecting the body's organs from injury. The human skeleton acts as a built-in suit of armour, shielding vital organs and ensuring their safety.
One of the most important protective functions of the bones is the safeguarding of the brain. The skull, consisting of multiple bones, forms a protective casing around the brain, ensuring its protection from external forces. The skull also plays a role in shaping the face, contributing to the overall structure and appearance of the head.
The spinal cord, a vital pathway for messages between the brain and the body, finds its protection in the backbone or spinal column. This protective bone structure is essential for maintaining the integrity of the spinal cord and facilitating uninterrupted communication between the brain and the rest of the body.
The rib cage, formed by the ribs, serves as a protective barrier for the heart and lungs. Its cage-like structure surrounds these vital organs, providing a layer of defence against physical impact. Similarly, the pelvis plays a protective role for organs in the pelvic region, including the bladder, part of the intestines, and in women, the reproductive organs.
In addition to their protective role, bones also contribute to the body's shape and structural support. They provide a framework that holds the body upright, enabling movement and flexibility. Furthermore, bones store and release minerals, such as calcium, into the bloodstream as needed, demonstrating their role in maintaining the body's overall health and functionality.
While bones provide a sturdy framework, muscles also play a supporting role in organ protection. Skeletal muscles, attached to bones by tendons, help maintain posture and generate heat in the body. They work in pairs, with one muscle contracting while the other relaxes, facilitating a wide range of movements. Additionally, muscles assist in vital bodily functions, including chewing, digestion, breathing, and maintaining blood pressure and flow.
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Muscles help control body systems like digestion
Bones, muscles, and joints make up the musculoskeletal system, which gives the body its structure and support, allowing movement, and protecting vital organs. Bones are made up of a framework of collagen, a protein that forms a flexible structure, and calcium phosphate, a mineral that makes them strong and hard. Bones also store calcium and release it into the bloodstream when needed.
The digestive process involves many steps and organs working together to pull nutrients from food and drink. It starts even before we take the first bite of food. When we see or smell food, our salivary glands release saliva to moisten food when we start chewing. The chewed food then moves from the mouth to the oesophagus, which uses peristalsis to send food to the stomach. The stomach releases acid and enzymes that break down food. The small intestine turns semi-solid food into fluid to absorb nutrients. The gallbladder contributes bile, and the pancreas and liver send digestive juices to the small intestine. The final step is when the small intestine sends leftover food waste to the large intestine.
Muscles help control digestion by moving food through the digestive system. They also help the body chew food, and they assist in other vital functions such as helping the heart beat, the chest rise and fall during breathing, and blood vessels regulate the pressure and flow of blood.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, muscles protect bones by absorbing mechanical impacts and shocks. For example, leg muscles help to protect joints when jumping from a height of 2-3 meters.
Muscles act as nonlinear springs to slow down impact and as viscous dampers to absorb the impact. The viscosity of the skeletal muscle can be controlled by changing the tension of the contracting muscle.
Yes, muscles and bones work together to make the body move. The strength of the muscles and bones need to be balanced. If a muscle is much stronger than a bone, it could snap it.
Physical activity and exercise help to strengthen muscles and bones. The harder the muscles tug, the more the body strengthens the bones.
Muscles help control movements and body systems such as chewing food, moving it through the digestive system, and regulating blood flow. They also help generate heat in the body and maintain posture.
