Anatomy and Physiology: Functions of Skeletal Muscles and Joints

This assignment delves into the anatomy and physiology of the skeletal system, examining the functions of skeletal muscles and various types of movable joints. It explores the muscles and joint movements involved in activities like swimming and cycling, providing a biomechanical analysis of the hu...Read More

ANATOMY AND
PHYSIOLOGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUESTION 1 ..................................................................................................................................1
PART 3: Functions of skeletal system .......................................................................................1
QUESTION 2...................................................................................................................................1
Types of movable joint ...............................................................................................................1
QUESTION 3...................................................................................................................................2
PART 1: Muscles and joint movement involved in swimming .................................................2
PART 2: Joints and muscles participating in cycling action ......................................................3
QUESTION 4...................................................................................................................................3
PART 1: General functions of skeletal muscles ........................................................................3
PART 2: Composition and functions of different components of skeletal muscles ..................3
QUESTION 5 ..................................................................................................................................4
Analysing antagonistic pair within human body and its role in producing movement ..............4
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................5

QUESTION 1
PART 3: Functions of skeletal system
The skeleton system consist of bones, cartilage, joints, ligaments and tendons which
allow living beings to have multifunctional structure.
Support: The structural composition of skeleton system provide support to body such as
vertebral column keeps body in upright position. It is also responsible for deciding shape and
height of individuals.
Storage and blood production: Skeleton system stores fats, lipids and minerals within yellow
marrow. Red marrow produces blood cells (Herman, 2016). This functionality is called
hemopoiesis and is vital for the survival of organisms.
Protection: The vital body parts like heart and brain needs protection from injuries and thus they
are protected by ribs and cranium.
Movement: Another key function is to facilitate the movement in body through bone functioning
and actions.
QUESTION 2
Types of movable joint
Joints serve the function of holding skeleton and supporting movement. The movable
joints are not fixed and have ability to move and thus causing movement in living beings as well.
The four types of movable joints are as follows:
Gliding joints: This type of joints such as joints in ankles, vertebrae and wrists allow sliding and
twisting but are not able to make circular motion. The bones in these types of joints can slide
against each other.
Hinge joint: The movement of hinge joint is limited to only angular moment which can allow
only extension and prevent rotation. Similar to the hinge action of door these joints perform their
action. Joints of ankles, knees and elbow are its example.
Ball and socket joint: It this type of joint for giving complete range of motion one rounded end
bone is fitted into another cupped bone. Hips and shoulder joints are common example of this
type (Jiang and et.al., 2015).
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Pivot joint: To allow the rotation movement pivot joints consist of bones in which round end of
bone can be fitted into tendon ring. The neck base includes pivot joints which enables rotation in
it.
(Source: Types of joints, 2018)
QUESTION 3
PART 1: Muscles and joint movement involved in swimming
Swimming is considered as one of the best physical activity which involves movement of
majority of joints and muscles. Primarily swimming involves action of ankle, knee, hip joints
such as radioulnar, glenohumeral and ulnohumeral joints. The swimming actions utilises the
musculature of upper body as well as core and leg muscles. Upper body muscles such as
brachialis, rotator cuff muscles, deltoid and pectoralis major participates in the quoted action.
Specific swimming styles also different muscle groups (Biomechanical Swimming Analysis,
2011). For instance in front crawl neck, shoulder, forearm flex and spinal cord muscles are used
while in case of breaststroke additionally chest muscles and abdominal muscles like are also
used. Similarly in freestyle swimming position, body roll initiates with one arm emerging out of
the water. Its position is in scapula upward rotating position and elbow is also flexed out at an
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Illustration 1: Movable joints

angle of ninety degree. Elbow must be stretched and extended fully in alignment with torso so
that swimming movement can be made.
PART 2: Joints and muscles participating in cycling action
During cycling upper muscles balances and maintains posture of the body while cycling
actions and training is caused by mainly leg muscles. Ball and socket joints provide movement in
multi-directions whereas hip joint helps in rotation. The torque is generated by hinge joints and
transfers force lowering leg (Herman, 2016). The maximum torque in cycling is produced by the
combined action of maximus (gluteals) and quadriceps muscle. Hamstring muscles stabilises
knees and flexion while muscles such as gastrocnemius, soleus are involved in stabilisation of
the lower leg. The hinge joint helps to produce large amount of torque. The ankle joint
movement allows ankleing in which pedal stroke helps foot to shift from dorsi-flexed to plantar
flexed position. There are number of smaller joints present in foot which transfer the force
originating from lower limb to pedal and thus pedalling action is executed.
QUESTION 4
PART 1: General functions of skeletal muscles
Skeletal muscles situated beneath skin layer and fat joins bones and tendons with
voluntary control. These muscles are responsible for movement and serves following functions:
Movement: These muscles exerts force so that body movement can take place. s
Postural support: Joint stabilisation by skeleton muscles is essential for giving postural support.
Heat production: Contraction of these muscles can produce heat. Thus, for balancing body
temperature these muscles can produce heat in a voluntary (through workout and warm up) or
non voluntary action (like shivering action).
Respiratory movement:The relaxation and contraction of abdomen and ribs muscles makes
movements in lungs so that respiration can take place easily.
PART 2: Composition and functions of different components of skeletal muscles
Elastic tissue called tendon provides connection between skeletal muscle and bone. These
muscles contain group of muscle fibres called fascicules which are cylindrical and surrounded by
blood vessels. These muscle fibres also provides pathway for blood passage and nerves along
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with the protection to cells (Harper, Wilken and Neptune, 2018). Tendons are made up of
epimysium which helps to avoid friction from other bones or muscles. Muscle fibes are covered
with fibrous tissues endomysium which gives insulation to fibre. The sarcoplasm stored in
sarcolemma which surrounds these muscle fibres acts as the powerhouse of cell where cell
energy is produced.
(Source:Structure of Skeletal Muscle, 2018)
QUESTION 5
Analysing antagonistic pair within human body and its role in producing movement
The muscular motion can be described as antagonist and agonist. The muscles which
participate in the movement due to activation of muscles are called agonists. They cause
movement by contraction and are also called prime movers Similarly, the muscles which results
in opposing torque than agonist are called antagonist and helps limb so that it can return to its
original position. Usually both of these types of muscles are present in pairs which is called
antagonistic pair in which simultaneous contraction and relaxation of one element in pair causes
the movement (Naito, Morita and Amemiya, 2016).
For instance quadriceps and hamstrings muscles work together for leg movement. During
bending hamstring contracts and quadriceps relaxes while at the time of straightening hamstring
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Illustration 2: Structure of skeleton muscles

relaxes and quadriceps contracts which leads to balance and movement. The simultaneous and
alternate contraction and relaxation of the both of these muscles helps knee and hip joints to
move and to stabilise knee which in turn results in movement of legs ((Jiang and et.al., 2015)).
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Harper, N.G., Wilken, J.M. and Neptune, R.R., 2018. Muscle Function and Coordination of Stair
Ascent. Journal of biomechanical engineering. 140(1). p.011001.
Herman, I.P., 2016. Physics of the human body. Springer.
Jiang, M., Kong, J., and et.al., 2015. Informative joints based human action recognition using
skeleton contexts. Signal Processing: Image Communication, 33, pp.29-40.
Naito, E., Morita, T. and Amemiya, K., 2016. Body representations in the human brain revealed
by kinesthetic illusions and their essential contributions to motor control and corporeal
awareness. Neuroscience research. 104. pp.16-30.
Online
Biomechanical Swimming Analysis, 2011 [Online] Accessed through
<http://biomechswimming.blogspot.com/>
Structure of Skeletal Muscle, 2018 [Online] Accessed through
<https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/muscular/structure.html>
Types of joints, 2018. [Online] Accessed through <https://byjus.com/biology/types-of-joints/>
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