Athena Vale
Muscles move joints by contracting and relaxing. They are attached to the skeleton by connective tissues called tendons. Muscles can only contract, not extend, so they work in pairs to move bones in opposite directions. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles work together to bend and extend the arm at the elbow. The brain sends electrical messages to the muscles, telling them to contract or relax when you want to move a body part.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How muscles move joints | Muscles can pull bones, but they can't push them back to their original position. So they work in pairs of flexors and extensors. |
| How muscles contract | The brain sends electrical messages to the muscles, telling them to contract or relax. |
| How muscles work in pairs | The flexor contracts to bend a limb at a joint. Then, when the movement is completed, the flexor relaxes and the extensor contracts to extend or straighten the limb at the same joint. |
| How muscles move the body in space | The muscles surrounding synovial joints are responsible for moving the body in space. These muscle actions are often paired, like flexion and extension or abduction and adduction. |
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What You'll Learn
- Muscles can pull bones, but they can't push them back to their original position
- Muscles work in pairs of flexors and extensors
- The brain sends electrical messages to muscles to contract or relax
- Muscles are attached to the skeleton by connective tissues called tendons
- Sensors in the muscles and joints send messages back to the cerebellum and other parts of the brain
Muscles can pull bones, but they can't push them back to their original position
The muscles surrounding synovial joints are responsible for moving the body in space. These muscle actions are often paired, like flexion and extension or abduction and adduction. Flexion and extension are usually movements forward and backward from the body, such as nodding the head. Flexion decreases the angle between two bones (bending), while extension increases the angle between two bones (straightening a bend).
Skeletal muscles are attached to the skeleton by tough connective tissues called tendons. Many skeletal muscles are attached to the ends of bones that meet at a joint. The muscles span the joint and connect the bones. When the muscles contract, they pull on the bones, causing them to move.
To make skeletal muscle move, the brain sends electrical messages to the muscles. The messages tell the muscles to contract or relax when you want to raise your hand, move your jaw to chew food, or kick a soccer ball into a goal.
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Muscles work in pairs of flexors and extensors
The flexor contracts to bend a limb at a joint. Then, when the movement is completed, the flexor relaxes and the extensor contracts to extend or straighten the limb at the same joint. This process is coordinated by the cerebellum, which receives messages from sensors in the muscles and joints about the position and movement of the limb. The cerebellum then sends messages to the muscles, telling them to contract or relax, resulting in smooth, coordinated motion.
The muscles surrounding synovial joints are responsible for moving the body in space. These muscle actions are often paired, like flexion and extension or abduction and adduction. Flexion and extension refer to movements forward and backward from the body, such as nodding the head. Flexion decreases the angle between two bones (bending), while extension increases the angle (straightening a bend).
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The brain sends electrical messages to muscles to contract or relax
Muscles move joints by contracting and relaxing. The brain sends electrical messages to muscles to contract or relax. For example, if you want to lift your arm, your brain sends a message to the muscles in your arm, and you move it. When you run, the messages to the brain are more involved because many muscles have to work in rhythm.
Muscles can only contract; they cannot actively extend or lengthen. Therefore, 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. The biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis flex the elbow, while the triceps brachii and anconeus are muscles that extend the elbow.
The muscles surrounding synovial joints are responsible for moving the body in space. These muscle actions are often paired, like flexion and extension or abduction and adduction. Flexion and extension are usually movements forward and backward from the body, such as nodding the head. Flexion decreases the angle between two bones (bending), while extension increases the angle between two bones (straightening a bend).
Muscles are attached to the skeleton by tough connective tissues called tendons. Many skeletal muscles are attached to the ends of bones that meet at a joint. The muscles span the joint and connect the bones. When the muscles contract, they pull on the bones, causing them to move.
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Muscles are attached to the skeleton by connective tissues called tendons
The cerebellum coordinates the muscle movements ordered by the motor cortex. Sensors in the muscles and joints send messages back through peripheral nerves to tell the cerebellum and other parts of the brain where and how the arm or leg is moving and what position it's in. This feedback results in smooth, coordinated motion. To make skeletal muscle move, the brain sends electrical messages to your skeletal muscles. The messages tell the muscles to do things like contract or relax when you want to raise your hand, move your jaw to chew food, or kick a soccer ball into a goal.
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Sensors in the muscles and joints send messages back to the cerebellum and other parts of the brain
Muscles move joints by contracting and relaxing. They can only contract, so they work in pairs of flexors and extensors. The flexor contracts to bend a limb at a joint, and then when the movement is completed, the flexor relaxes and the extensor contracts to extend or straighten the limb at the same joint. 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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Frequently asked questions
Muscles move joints by contracting and relaxing. Muscles can only contract, so they work in pairs of flexors and extensors. The flexor contracts to bend a limb at a joint, then when the movement is completed, the flexor relaxes and the extensor contracts to extend or straighten the limb at the same joint.
Muscles contract when the brain sends electrical messages to the skeletal muscles.
When you run, many muscles have to work in rhythm, so the messages to the brain are more involved. Sensors in the muscles and joints send messages back through peripheral nerves to tell the cerebellum and other parts of the brain where and how the arm or leg is moving and what position it's in. This feedback results in smooth, coordinated motion.
