Musculoskeletal System Flashcards
What is the musculoskeletal system?
Is concerned with movement and support of the body.
What do the bones do?
Provide the support for the body, providing anchoring points for muscles and organs.
What do the joints do?
Are found where bones meet and allow movement of the bones in particular directions.
What are the ligaments?
Attach bones-bones and support the joints in the movement of the bones. They restrict movement in directions that would cause damage to joints.
What are the tendons?
Join muscles-bone. Are slightly elastic and allow the muscles to exert force on the bones to provide locomotion.
What do the muscles do?
Are groups of specialized cells which can change their length. They are anchored to particular bones across joints and allow movement of the skeleton and therefore provide the means to move around.
What is the spinal column?
A long row of small bones running down the center of the back. Each bone (vertebrae) has a hole down it’s center to allow the spinal cord ( a large bundle of nerves) to travel down the body.
What does the spinal column do?
Provides protection of the delicate nerves that relays impulses from the brain to the rest of the body- flexible and allows a large degree of movement.
What do the upper most bones do?
Support the head, and allow the skull to move in all directions.
What is between each vertebrae?
A disc of cartilage
What is the purpose of this cartilage?
Acts as a cushion while moving, stopping the vertebrae from rubbing against each other and causing damage to the bones or nerves whilst in motion.
What are the 3 types of main joints?
fibrous, cartilaginous and synovial
Where are the fibrous joints found?
mainly skull, but also pelvis and between teeth and jaw.
What are fibrous joints?
Immovable joints, do not allow movement
Where are cartilaginous joints found?
Between the vertebrae at the sternum and the front of the pelvis.
