Muscular system

Question 1

What are the 3 main functions of the muscular system?

Answer 1

Body movement
Maintain posture
Support essential bodily functions

Question 2

Explain the 3 types of muscle fibres and provide an activity that they would best be suited for.

Answer 2

Type 1 Slow-twitch fibres are aerobic fibres that do not fatigue easily and are best for endurance activities such as a marathon.
Type 2a Fast-twitch fibres are anaerobic fibres that have a mixture of both type 1 and type 2b characteristics. They are best suited to anaerobic and shorter duration work. They are best suited to activities like 400m events.
Type 2b Fast-twitch fibres are anaerobic and the best fibres for short interval and high intensity work like sprinting 100m events. They fatigue very easily.

Question 3

What are the 3 main types of muscles? Provide an example of each.

Answer 3

Smooth muscle - stomach walls
Cardiac muscle - walls of the heart
Skeletal muscle - deltoid

Question 4

What are the 3 types of muscle contractions?

Answer 4

Isointial contraction
Isometric contraction
Isokinetic contraction

Question 5

What is the all or nothing principle?

Answer 5

The all or nothing principle is when an electrical impluse reaches a certain threshold, all of the fibres in that motor unit will contract simultaneously and as forcefully as possible.

Question 6

What are the 2 ways the intensity of the muscle contractions can vary?

Answer 6

By varying the number of motor units released.
By varying the rate at which the impulses arrive at the motor unit.

Question 7

Describe the roles of the agonist and antagonist muscles. Provide an example to support your response.

Answer 7

An agonist muscle is a muscle that contracts, whereas an antagonist muscle is a muscle that produces the opposite and relaxes when the agonist contracts.
Agonist - shortens
Antagonist - lengthens

Question 8

Name the agonist and antagonist muscles in a push up.

Answer 8

Agonist - tricep
Antagonist - bicep

Question 9

Name the agonist and antagonist muscles in a chin up.

Answer 9

Agonist- bicep
Antagonist- tricep

Question 10

Name the agonist and antagonist muscles in a bicep curl.

Answer 10

Agonist - bicep
Antagonist - tricep

Question 11

Name the agonist and antagonist muscles in a bench press.

Answer 11

Agonist- pecs
Agonist- lats