muscles

• What are the essential structures that help our body move?

  Bones and muscles
• What is the role of ligaments?

  • Join bones together
  • Strong but flexible connective tissue
  • Prevent joints from moving too far
  • May tear or rupture if overstretched
• What is the role of tendons?

  • Join muscles to bones
  • Tough connective tissue formed of parallel bundles of fibers
  • Enable muscles to pull on bones for movement
• What are the two main types of muscle?

  1. Involuntary muscles
  2. Voluntary muscles
• Where is cardiac muscle located and what is its function?

  • Location: muscle forming the heart
  • Function: involuntary muscle that pumps blood
  • Cannot be controlled consciously
  • Contracts and relaxes rhythmically
• Where are involuntary muscles found and how do they function?

  • Location: walls of internal organs
  • Move without conscious control
  • Usually not controlled by the brain
  • Help move food through the digestive system
• Where are voluntary muscles located and how do they function?

  • Location: attached to bones
  • Move when we want to
  • Consciously controlled
  • Allow specific actions like playing sports
• What is the role of the biceps muscle?

  • Location: front of the upper arm
  • Action: bends the arm
  • Helps lift objects
• What is the role of the triceps muscle?

  • Location: back of the upper arm
  • Action: straightens the arm
  • Helps push objects
• What is the role of the forearm muscles?

  • Location: lower arm
  • Action: allows hand and fingers to move freely
• What is the role of the hand muscles?

  • Location: attached to forearm
  • Action: grasps, holds, and manipulates objects
• What are antagonistic muscle pairs?

  • Muscles that create opposing movements
  • Work together to provide movement of joints
  • One muscle contracts while another relaxes
• What is the agonist in an antagonistic muscle pair?

  The muscle that is contracting
• What is the antagonist in an antagonistic muscle pair?

  The muscle that is relaxing
• What is the role of the quadriceps muscle?

  • Location: front of the leg
  • Role: extension of the knee
• What is the role of the hamstrings muscle?

  • Location: back of the upper leg
  • Role: flexion of the knee
• What is the role of the gastrocnemius muscle?

  • Location: back of the lower leg
  • Role: plantar flexion of the foot
• What is the role of the tibialis anterior muscle?

  • Location: front of the lower leg
  • Role: dorsiflexion of the foot
• What are the hip flexors and gluteus maximus muscles responsible for?

  • Hip flexors: located at the top of the leg, responsible for hip flexion
  • Gluteus maximus: located in the buttocks, responsible for hip extension
• What are the three main categories of muscle fibre types?

  1. Slow twitch (type I)
  2. Fast twitch (type IIa)
  3. Fast twitch (type IIx)
• What are the characteristics of slow twitch muscle fibres?

  • Produce low force
  • Slow speed of contraction
  • High endurance
  • Good for endurance activities
• What are the characteristics of fast twitch type IIa muscle fibres?

  • Produce high force
  • Moderate speed of contraction
  • Medium endurance
  • More resistant to fatigue than type IIx
• What are the characteristics of fast twitch type IIx muscle fibres?

  • Produce very high force
  • Fast contracting
  • Low endurance
  • Good for short, explosive actions
• How do muscle fibre types relate to performance?

  • Different muscle fibres are recruited depending on the task
  • Each type has advantages and disadvantages based on the activity
• What is the primary muscle fibre type used for endurance activities?

  Slow twitch type I
• What is the primary muscle fibre type used for explosive actions?

  Fast twitch type IIx
• What is the significance of myoglobin in muscle fibres?

  • High levels in slow twitch fibres
  • Helps with oxygen storage
  • Important for aerobic activities
• How does capillary density differ among muscle fibre types?

  • Slow twitch: high capillary density
  • Fast twitch type IIa: medium capillary density
  • Fast twitch type IIx: low capillary density