How the human body is able to move
Different parts of the human body work together to perform the function of movement. Human body movement is very important to the aspect of life.
Different Types of Body Movement: There are many different types of body movements with different body parts, but according to philschatz.com, they can be classified into these types of movement.
- Flexion: "Refers to a movement that decreases the angle between two body parts."
- Extension: "Refers to a movement that increases the angle between two body parts."
- Abduction: "Is a movement away from the midline of the body."
- Adduction: "Is a movement towards the midline of the body."
- Medial Rotation: "Is a rotational movement toward the midline."
- Lateral Rotation: "Is a rotating movement away from the midline."
- Elevation: "Is a movement in an upward direction."
- Depression: "Is a movement in an downward direction."
- Pronation: "Is rotation toward upward position."
- Supination: "Is rotation toward downward position."
- Dorsiflexion: "Is compression of the muscles so the body part is pointing toward the body. For example, pointing your toes of your feet toward your body."
- Plantar flexion: "Is extension of the muscles so the body part is pointing away from the body. For example, extending your foot so your toes point away from your body."
- Inversion: "Is when you laterally rotate body part toward from midline."
- Eversion: "Is when you laterally rotate body part away from midline."
- Opposition: "Is when two body parts on the same body touch each other. For example, your pointer finger and thumb coming together to touch."
- Reposition: "Is when you move a body part back to its original position. For example, moving your thumb and pointing finger back into its natural position which is when they aren't touching each other."
- Circumduction: "Is movement of a body region or part in a circular manner."
What Components are Involved? The bones, muscles, and joints are involved in movement. Kidshealth.org mentions, "the musculoskeletal system is involved in human body movement. Every time you walk down the hall while going to class, score against your opponent in a game, or ride your bike shoot pool with your friends, you are using your bones, muscles, and joints. Without these important body parts you wouldn't be able to do anything- you couldn't sit, stand, walk, or any of the everyday activities. From your heads to your toes, your bones provides support and help forms your shape. Joints are where two bones meet and make the skeleton flexible, without them movement would be impossible. Muscles are the masses of tough, elastic tissue that pull our bones when we move. Bones, muscles, joints, along with tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, together make up the musculoskeletal system ad lets us do the activities we do everyday."
How? As you know the brain is the center of everything. Winderopolis.org states that, "any kind of movement begins with a need or desire to move. The need or desire to move may be conscious, but most of the time you aren't even thinking about it. Instead the brain takes control, plans, and initiates the movement." This source also mentions that "your body is able to move because, in the nervous system, the brain sends signals through the spinal cord and nerves to the muscles. The muscles then contract to create movement. Your muscles work in conjunction with tendons and joints, which helps your muscles move your skeletal bones to accomplish the task of movement."
Fun Facts About Body Movement:
- According to healthline.com, "the motor cortex on the side of your brain controls muscle movement on the other side of your body."
- Factretriever.com states that, "messages from the human brain travel along the nerves at up to 200 miles per hour."
- Physiology.knoji.com said, "muscles can get shorter and pull, but can't make a pushing force. The muscles are arranged in opposing teams, one team pulls the body part one way and the other team pulls it back again, this then mimics the movement of pushing force, like to kick."
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