joints and connective tissues

• tendons: attach muscles to bones, they transmit the mechanical force of muscle contraction to the bones (i.e. no tendons no movement), they are very strong, they have high tensile strength (they wont snap easily under strain)
• ligaments: attach bone to bones, consist of dense collagenous fibers & elastin (can withstand great pressure), due to the elastin it has a high degree of elasticity, allow movement in multiple directions, have less tensile strength than tendons
• cartilage: made of collagen and elastin, covers the end of the bones (reduces friction at joints)
• joints: place where two or more bones meet
• main types of joints: fibrous, cartilaginous & synovial
• fibrous joints: held together by dense connective tissues, they allow for little or even no movement at all, they do not contain a joint cavity
• fibrous joints: provide protection for surrounding structures
• fibrous joints: examples, between the radius and ulna
• cartilaginous joints: are the connection between bones, made entirely of cartilage, they allow for limited movement
• cartilaginous joints: allow for bones to join together, are strong & rigid & provide support for surrounding structures, very good at absorbing shock
• cartilaginous joints: examples, in between vertebrae & between ribs and sternum
• synovial joints: most common, they are freely moveable & are surrounded by an articular joint capsule, each capsule is filled with synovial fluid which fills the joint cavity between two adjoining bones
• synovial joints: examples, joints of the shoulder, wrist, elbow
• synovial joint

  
• synovial joint structure: has synovial fluid in the joint cavity that lubricates the joint so it moves smoothly, synovial fluid is mode by the synovial membrane & ends of the bones are covered with cartilage