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Muscles move bones through contraction. They cannot actively extend or lengthen, so pairs of muscles must work in opposition to move bones in opposite directions. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles of the upper arm work in opposition to bend and extend the arm at the elbow. Tendons help connect skeletal muscles to bones, and joints are the places where bones connect to each other. Synovial joints, such as the shoulder and knee, are typical examples of how muscles move bones.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How muscles attach to bones | Muscles attach to bones in two or more places |
| Types of attachment | Origin and insertion |
| Origin | Where the muscle attaches to an immobile bone |
| Insertion | Where the muscle attaches to a mobile bone |
| Movement | Made possible through joints, where bones connect to each other |
| Types of joints | Synovial joints, fibrous joints |
| Synovial joints | Fluid-filled joints within a fibrous capsule; allow for the most movement |
| Fibrous joints | Protect the joint and prevent extreme movement |
| Muscle movement | Muscles can only contract, not extend or lengthen; pairs of muscles must work in opposition to move bones in opposite directions |
| Antagonists | Provide resistance and/or reverse the movement; help maintain the position of the body or limb during muscle actions |
| Synergists | Help the agonist |
| Stabilizers | Help keep bones immobile |
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Tendons and joints
Tendons are strong bands of dense, regular connective tissue that connect muscles to bones. When skeletal muscles contract, the tension created is transferred to the tendons, which then pull on the bones.
A muscle's origin is its attachment to an immobile bone, and its insertion is its attachment to a mobile bone. The insertion is the moveable end of the muscle that attaches to the bone being pulled, and the origin is the end of the muscle attached to a fixed (stabilized) bone. For example, the rectus femoris has two origins, one at the pubis and one at the ilium, and its insertion is at the patella, or the kneecap.
To move bones in opposite directions, pairs of muscles must work in opposition. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles of the upper arm work in opposition to bend and extend the arm at the elbow.
Joints are the places where bones connect to each other. Synovial joints, like the shoulder and knee, are typical examples of how muscles move bones. The fibrous outer capsule of the joint protects it and prevents it from extreme movement. Synovial fluid helps reduce friction between bones as they move, and bursae are fluid-lined sacs that reduce friction between tendons and other structures.
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Muscle contractions
Muscles can only contract, they cannot extend or lengthen. To move bones in opposite directions, pairs of muscles must work in opposition. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles of the upper arm work in opposition to bend and extend the arm at the elbow.
Most skeletal muscles attach to bones in two or more places. There are two types of attachments: origin and insertion. A muscle’s origin is where it attaches to an immobile bone, and an insertion is where the muscle attaches to the bone that moves during the muscle action. For example, the rectus femoris has two origins, one at the pubis and one at the ilium. The rectus femoris’s insertion is at the patella, or the kneecap.
The tension created by the contraction of the fibres in most skeletal muscles is transferred to the tendons. The tendons are strong bands of dense, regular connective tissue that connect muscles to bones. The bone connection is why this muscle tissue is called skeletal muscle. To pull on a bone, a skeletal muscle must also be attached to a fixed part of the skeleton. The moveable end of the muscle that attaches to the bone being pulled is called the muscle’s insertion, and the end of the muscle attached to a fixed bone is called the origin.
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Muscle attachments
Skeletal muscles attach to bones in two or more places. There are two types of attachments: origin and insertion. A muscle's origin is where it attaches to an immobile bone, and its insertion is where it attaches to a mobile bone. For example, the rectus femoris has two origins, one at the pubis and one at the ilium, and its insertion is at the patella.
Tendons are strong bands of dense, regular connective tissue that connect muscles to bones. The tension created by the contraction of the fibres in most skeletal muscles is transferred to the tendons. To pull on a bone, a skeletal muscle must also be attached to a fixed part of the skeleton. The moveable end of the muscle that attaches to the bone being pulled is the insertion, and the end of the muscle attached to a fixed bone is the origin.
To move bones in opposite directions, pairs of muscles must work in opposition. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles of the upper arm work in opposition to bend and extend the arm at the elbow.
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Muscle pairs
Muscles can only contract, not extend or lengthen. To move bones in opposite directions, pairs of muscles must work in opposition. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles of the upper arm work in opposition to bend and extend the arm at the elbow.
Most skeletal muscles attach to bones in two or more places. There are two types of attachments: origin and insertion. A muscle’s origin is where it attaches to an immobile bone, and an insertion is where the muscle attaches to the bone that moves during the muscle action. For example, the rectus femoris has two origins, one at the pubis and one at the ilium, and its insertion is at the patella, or the kneecap.
Tendons are strong bands of dense, regular connective tissue that connect muscles to bones. The tension created by the contraction of the fibres in most skeletal muscles is transferred to the tendons. To pull on a bone, a skeletal muscle must also be attached to a fixed part of the skeleton. The moveable end of the muscle that attaches to the bone being pulled is the muscle’s insertion, and the end of the muscle attached to a fixed bone is the origin.
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Synovial fluid
Skeletal muscles attach to bones in two or more places. There are two types of attachments: origin and insertion. A muscle's origin is where it attaches to an immobile bone, and its insertion is where the muscle attaches to the bone that moves during the muscle action. For example, the rectus femoris has two origins, one at the pubis and one at the ilium, and its insertion is at the patella. To move the skeleton, the tension created by the contraction of the fibres in most skeletal muscles is transferred to the tendons. The tendons are strong bands of dense, regular connective tissue that connect muscles to bones.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscles can only contract, not extend or lengthen. To move bones in opposite directions, pairs of muscles must work in opposition. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles of the upper arm work in opposition to bend and extend the arm at the elbow.
There are two types of muscle attachments: origin and insertion. A muscle's origin is its attachment to an immobile bone, and its insertion is its attachment to a mobile bone.
The rectus femoris has two origins, one at the pubis and one at the ilium. These two bones, along with the ischium, make up the hip.
The biceps and triceps muscles of the upper arm have one origin and one insertion. The origin is at the shoulder, and the insertion is at the elbow.
Synovial joints make muscle actions possible. A joint is a point where two bones meet, and a synovial joint is a fluid-filled joint within a fibrous capsule. Of all the joint types, synovial joints allow for the most movement.
