Concepts Flashcards
What are the three major components of the musculoskeletal system?
- Bones
- Muscles
- Connective tissues
Which germ layers do the components of the MSK system arise from?
Mesoderm layer
What are the functions of bone?
- Support
- Protection
- Metabolic
- Storage
- calcium, phosphate, protein and fat
- Movement (of joints)
- Haematopoiesis
What are the functions of skeletal msucle?
- locomotion
- posture
- metabolic
- glycogen metabolism
- venous return
- thermogenesis
- continence
- pelvic floor
What are the different types of connection tissue in the MSK system?
‘Firm’ tissue:
- tendon
- ligament
- fascia
- cartilage
‘Soft’ tissue
- synovial membrane
- bursa
What are tendons?
Strong fibrous collagen tissue that connects muscle to bone, connecting transmission of movement.
What is a ligament?
A short band of tough fibrous connective tissue which connects or supports two bones. Holds joints together.
What is fascia?
Dense sheets of fibrous connective tissue that compartmentalises muscle groups and protects them by forming a stocking like feature around muscles.
What is cartilage?
Firm connective tissue but is softer and more flexible than bone. Made of a dense network of collagen fibres embedded in gelatinous ground substance. Subtypes: articular and fibrocartilage.
Articular (hyaline cartilage):
- low in fibres
- found at the end of bones
- decreases friction at joints
Fibrocartilage:
- encapsulated for shock absorption
- increases bone congruity
What is the synovial membrane?
A layer of connective tissue that lines the cavites of joints, tendon sheaths and bursae producing synovial fluid which has a lubricating function.
What are bursae?
Synovial fluid filled sacs that protect tendons and liagments from friction
What is the histology of bone?
Connective tissue
- Extracellular membrane: rich in CaPO<strong>4</strong> (calcium phosphate which give rigidity)
- Fibres
- Collagen
- elastin
- Ground substance
- water
- GAGs, proteoglycans etc.
- Fibres
- Cells
- Osteocytes
- Osteoblasts
- Osteoclasts
- fibroblasts
- macrophages
- mast cells
- adipocytes
What is an osteoblast?
A cell which synthesises bone by producting the extra cellular matrix. Responsible for calcification.
What is an osteoclast?
Multinucleated bone cells that absorbs bone tissue.
What is an osteocyte?
A bone cell that releases bone matrix periodically but becomes embedded within its own matrix.