Muscles Flashcards
What are some properties of muscles? (hint: 4)
- Irritability and excitability
- Elasticity
- Contractibility
- Extensibility
What are the four different fascicle arrangements?
- Circular
- Paralelle
- Convergent
- Pennate (unipennate, bipennate and multipennate)
What is a motor unit?
A single nerve cell and the muscle fibres it controls. The more fibres attached means the more power the unit can generate.
What attachments do muscles that move the axial skeleton have?
Superior and inferior attachments
What attachments do muscles that move the appendicular skeleton have?
Proximal and distal attachments
What is a tendon?
A tendon attaches a muscle to a bone, skin or another muscle
What is a ligament?
A ligament attaches bone to bone
What is a aponeurosis?
A thin, flattened connective tissue attachment that is similarly structured to tendons.
Describe Isotonic contraction
Generating force by changing length of the muscle.
There are two types :
- Concentric (Muscle shortening)
- Eccentric (Muscle lengthening)
Describe Isometric contraction
Tension is developed within the muscles but joint angles remain the same (tensing your muscles)
What are agonists/prime movers?
The main muscles responsible for a movement
What are antagonists?
Muscles that oppose the action of the agonist muscle
What are synergists?
Muscles that assist in movements
What are stabilisers/fixators?
Muscles that are dynamic stabilisers at a joint
What are shunts?
Muscles that resist dislocating forces at a joint
