AIM A
Introduction to muscular skeleton system
1) Function of skeleton (5 functions)
2) Function of muscles
3) Function of joints
4) 6 joints – explain their role
Function of human skeleton
The human skeleton has many functions which work every day in our daily lives to help us
move and live. The skeletal system consists of the bones, cartilage, tendons,
and ligaments in the body. Altogether, the skeleton makes up about 20% of a person’s body
weight (Healthline, 2018). Support, protection, shape, movement, and blood production are
the main functions of the skeleton. The skeleton keeps the body upright and gives your body
support, it provides a structure for the muscles and tissues. The human skeleton protects
the internal organs from injury and impact. For example, the ribs protect the heart and
lungs. Another function the human skeleton gives to your body is shape, which changes with
growth. Stable body shape enables important functions, for example, a rib cage and spine
enable the lungs to fully inflate when breathing. The skeleton allows the body to move as a
whole and individually. The bones of the skeleton allows the attachment of muscles. Any
movement we produce results from muscle contractions. The last function of the skeleton is
blood production. Bones contain bone marrow with tissue inside the bones. The marrow is
responsible for the production of the body’s red blood cells and some white blood cells.
These cells carry oxygen to the body.
, Function of muscles =
Muscles help us with our everyday movement, they are attached to bones and organs and
nearly all the movement in our bodies are the result of muscle contraction. They control lots
of things in the body like breathing, your heartbeat and digestion. Movement like walking
and running require the joint action of joints, bones, and muscles for us to move. Muscles
also help with posture, heat production and stability. The tendons in the muscles extend
over the joints which help contribute to joint stability. Muscles contract more during
movement meaning respiration increases. This produces heat which helps maintain body
temperature at 37ºC. About 85% of the heat produced in the body is a result of muscle
contraction (NIH, 2022). There are over 600 muscles in the body (MNT, 2018) that work
together to function the whole body. There are 3 types of muscles in the body: Skeletal
muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscles. Skeletal muscles are consciously controlled,
they are attached to bones and the muscle contracting causes the movement of the bones.
Any action a person takes involves the skeletal muscles. The second muscle, the smooth
muscle, lines the inside of organs and blood vessels. It plays a big role in the movement of
food through the digestive tract. They cannot be consciously controlled. The cardiac muscle
is in the heart, it pumps blood around the body. The contractions of the cardiac muscle is
the heartbeat. This muscle is strong. The muscles in your body can be trained regularly to
increase in size which will help develop better endurance. Muscle toning can help prevent
injury and makes everyday tasks easier.
Function of the joints
Joints are where two bones meet. The main function of joints is to connect two bones
together. They bind the skeleton together and give us structure. Joints allow muscles to
