Essay Unit 8 - Assignment A Physiology of Human Body Systems
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Course
Unit 8 - Physiology of Human Body Systems
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
This is a distinction standard essay for Unit 8 Assignment A (Musculoskeletal System and its disorders) *NOTE* This is only meant to be used as a guideline to achieve distinction and not to be copied.
Unit 8 Assignment 1: Musculoskeletal Disorders
Assignment Brief:
Within this report, the author has been asked to produce information relevant to the
musculoskeletal system and musculoskeletal disorders by doing research on it. Furthermore, the
author will discuss and go into depth regarding the main structures and functions of the
musculoskeletal system, treatments that are available to treat musculoskeletal disorders as well as
effective clinical management for common musculoskeletal disorders. A detailed explanation of 3
different musculoskeletal disorders will also be included to compare and differentiate between the
3.
Musculoskeletal System
The musculoskeletal system is made up of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and soft
tissues in the body. These components are what make up the physical shape of our bodies. The
musculoskeletal system aids us in supporting the body, leverage, movement such as walking and
moving our hands around, protection of our body organs, production of blood cells, and the storage
of minerals. The musculoskeletal system is made up of 2 different systems which are the muscular
system and the skeletal system. The muscular system contains all types of muscle in the body, and
they also consist of tendons. The skeletal system is made up of bones which articulate with one
another to form joints which are supported by cartilage and ligaments (Sendic, n.d.). An average
human adult has 206 bones in the body.
The axial skeleton is made up of the central axis of the body. It
consists of the skull, vertebral column, and the thoracic cage. On
the other hand, the appendicular skeleton consists of the pelvic
and pectoral girdles, limb bones, and the bones in the hands and
feet
The bones of the skull of the axial skeleton are cranium,
mandible, and maxilla. In the vertebral column, there are
cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae as well as the sacrum
and coccyx. There are also the sternum and ribs in the axial
skeleton.
The limb bones of the appendicular skeleton are humerus,
radius, ulna, femur, patella, fibula, and tibia. The bones in the
hand and feet are carpals, metacarpals, tarsals, metatarsals, and
phalanges. The shoulder girdle is made up of scapula and
clavicle. The pelvic girdle’s bones are ilium, pubis, and ischium.
The axial skeleton aids in protecting the organs of the body. For
example, the skull protects the brain as the cranium protects it
from sustaining injuries. The appendicular skeleton helps the
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg- body to move as bones of the hand and feet are included in it.
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,There are 5 types of bones in the body. The several types of bones are long, short, flat, irregular, and
sesamoid. Long bones are hard bones that contribute to the body by providing structure mobility to
be able to move and strength to hold the body’s weight as well as picking up items. Examples of long
bones are the femur, fibula, and radius. A long bone usually has a main shaft called the ‘diaphysis’
and an end called the ‘epiphysis’ (Scott, 2012). Short bones are usually shaped like a cube and is
mostly made up of spongy bone. For example, short bones are the tarsals, and the carpals. The flat
bones have 2 thin layers of compact bone with a layer of spongy bone in between the 2 layers. Flat
bones are bones like the skull, rib, sternum, and nasal. The irregular bones do not have a specific
shape hence the name ‘irregular’ and therefore can’t be categorised properly. For instance, the
coccyx and the maxilla are irregular bones as they don’t have an easily characterised shape. The
sesamoid bone is small, rounded and usually close in proximity with the joints. The patella and
carpal bones are examples of sesamoid bones.
Functional Roles
The musculoskeletal system provides a wide variation of functions in the body. Firstly, it provides
support for the body. The main support centre of the body is the backbone, it holds the head up and
protects the spinal cord. The backbone is also known as the spine and it consists of the cervical
vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, and coccyx (Anon., 2020). The cervical
vertebrae are at the neck bones, the thoracic region is where the ribs are attached to, and the
lumbar region is at the lower part of the back. The vertebrae are connected in the front of the spine
with the help of intervertebral discs (Rodts, 2010)
These intervertebral discs separate the
vertebrae to provide support to be able
to sit or stand upright and the discs
function as shock absorbers (Anon.,
2021). There are a total of 23 vertebral
discs in the spinal column (Scioscia,
2017)
The musculoskeletal system produces blood cells and stores minerals. The blood cells which are red
blood cells and white blood cells are produced through a tissue called ‘marrow’ which is present in
the centre of bones which contains bone marrow. For example, bone marrow can be found in the
femur and sternum. The bone marrow is a soft and spongy material which is in the centre of bones,
95% of the body’s blood cells are produced in the bone marrow (Anon., 2021). These blood cells
start out as stem cells which is the first phase for blood cells, as the stem cells mature which can be
, called hematopoietic cells the red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells will evolve (Anon.,
The white blood cells will then fight against
viruses and germs in the body, they will also
remember how to fight infectious diseases if it
ever comes back such as ‘chickenpox’ which is
why it is rare to have it more than once while
red blood cells will transport oxygen to the
body from the lungs.
2021).
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/dfsmedia/1a6f23537f7f4519bb0cf14c45b2a629/209-50035/macd187-bone-marrow-and-
blood-cells-labelled-20180326
The two types of bone marrow are
red bone marrow and yellow bone
marrow. Yellow bone marrow
consists of adipose tissue which
contains triglycerides that can be
released in the body to serve as an
energy source for other tissues in the
body (Biga, et al., n.d.). On the other
hand, red bone marrow is where the
production of the blood cells occurs
(Biga, et al., n.d.).
Bones are also made up of minerals, so they can store minerals in them such as calcium, iron and
phosphorous for use of the body. Calcium is stored as it can be used by the body if needed to build
and repair bones. Moreover, potassium is also stored as it aids with muscle contraction, keeps skin
healthy and helps with maintaining normal blood pressure (BBC, n.d.). The way these minerals can
be used are that they are released back into the bloodstream to maintain levels needed to support
physiological process, such as calcium ions being involved in the transmission of nerve impulses
(Biga, et al., n.d.). Phosphorus and calcium work alongside to help repair and build bones but you
need the right amount for both, so our kidneys help to remove excess phosphorous from the blood
(Combe, 2018).
Bones are vital when it comes to protecting body organs, it protects by reducing the risk of injury of
organs or level of injury after an impact. For example, the cranium (skull) protects the brain, and the
ribs protect the lungs and heart (BBC, n.d.). The cranium can protect the brain in a scenario where
someone could be playing football and ends up falling over due to tripping over the ball causing a
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