The Musculoskeletal System

The Musculoskeletal System
The musculoskeletal system provides support to the body and gives humans (and many
animal species) the ability to move. The body’s bones (the skeletal system), muscles
(muscular system), cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissue
that supports and binds tissues and organs together comprise the musculoskeletal
system.
Most importantly, the system provides form, support, stability, and movement to the
body. For example, the bones of the skeletal system protect the body’s internal organs
and support the weight of the body. The skeletal portion of the system serves as the
main storage depot for calcium and phosphorus. It also contains critical components of
the hematopoietic system (blood cell production). The muscles of the muscular system
keep bones in place; they also play a role in movement of the bones by contracting and
pulling on the bones, allowing for movements as diverse as standing, walking, running,
and grasping items. To allow motion, different bones are connected by joints. Within
these joints, bones are connected to other bones and muscle fibers via connective
tissue such as tendons and ligaments. Cartilage prevents the bone ends from rubbing
directly on each other. Muscles contract (bunch up) to move the bone attached at the
joint.
Functions of the musculoskeletal system
 supports the body

 facilitates movement
 protects internal organs
 produces blood cells
 stores and releases minerals and fat
Muscular system, which includes all types of muscles in the body. Skeletal muscles, in
particular, are the ones that act on the body joints to produce movements. Besides
muscles, the muscular system contains the tendons which attach the muscles to the
bones.
Skeletal system, whose main component is the bone. Bones articulate with each other
and form the joints, providing our bodies with a hard-core, yet mobile, skeleton. The
integrity and function of the bones and joints is supported by the accessory structures of
the skeletal system; articular cartilage, ligaments, and bursae.
Tendons, Joints, Ligaments, and Bursae
A tendon is a tough, flexible band made of fibrous connective tissue, and functions to
connect muscle to bone. Joints are the bone articulations allowing movement. A
ligament is a dense, white band of fibrous elastic tissue.
Ligaments connect the ends of bones together in order to form a joint. These help to
limit joint dislocation and restrict improper hyperextension and hyperflexion. Also made
of fibrous tissue are bursae. These provide cushions between bones and tendons
and/or muscles around a joint.
The muscular system is an organ system composed of specialized contractile tissue
called the muscle tissue. There are three types of muscle tissue, based on which all the
muscles are classified into three groups:
Cardiac muscle, which forms the muscular layer of the heart (myocardium)
Smooth muscle, which comprises the walls of blood vessels and hollow organs
Skeletal muscle, which attaches to the bones and provides voluntary movement.
Based on their histological appearance, these types are classified into striated and non-
striated muscles; with the skeletal and cardiac muscles being grouped as striated, while
the smooth muscle is non-striated. The skeletal muscles are the only ones that we can
control by the power of our will, as they are innervated by the somatic part of the nervous
system. In contrast to this, the cardiac and smooth muscles are innervated by
the autonomic nervous system, thus being controlled involuntarily by the autonomic
centers in our brain.
The Axial Skeleton

• The axial skeleton is the part of the skeleton that consists of the bones of the
head and trunk of a vertebrate animal, including humans.
• The primary divisions of the skeleton system are the head, thorax, and vertebral
column.
• The human cranium supports the structures of the face and forms the brain
cavity.
• The rib cage functions as protection for the vital organs of the chest such as the
heart and lungs.
• The cervical vertebrae make up the junction between the vertebral column and
the cranium, and the bone makes up the junction between the vertebral column and the
pelvic bones.
Key Terms
• flat bones: Thin bones (although often curved) that serve as points of attachment
for muscles and protect internal organs (examples, cranium, sternum).
• cranial vault: The space in the skull occupied by the brain.
• sutures: Fibrous joints that are only found in the cranium
The human’s axial skeleton is composed of 80 bones and is the central core of the
body. The primary divisions of the skeleton system are:
• Head, including the bones of the skull (cranium), face, auditory ossicles, and
hyoid bone.
• Thorax, including the rib cage and sternum.
• Vertebral column.
Bones of the Head
Skull (Cranium)
The human cranium consists of the flat bones of the cranium and includes the facial
bones. The cranium protects the brain. The cranium is formed from eight bones
connected by sutures.
Fourteen facial bones form the lower front part of the cranium. Important facial bones
include the lower jaw or mandible, the upper jaw or maxilla, the zygomatic or cheek
bone, and the nasal bone.
Ossicle
The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) consist of three bones (malleus, incus, and
stapes) that are the smallest in the body. These are located in the middle ear and serve
to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth.
Hyoid Bone
The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck
between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. It provides attachment to the muscles of the
floor of the mouth, the tongue above, larynx below, and the epiglottis and pharynx
behind.
Rib Cage
The rib cage is composed of 25 bones that include the 12 pairs of ribs plus the sternum.
It functions as protection for the vital organs of the chest, such as the heart and lungs.
The first seven pairs of ribs attach to the sternum with costal cartilage and are known as
true ribs. The 8th through 10th ribs have noncostal cartilage that connects them to the
ribs above.
The last two ribs are called floating ribs because they do not attach to the sternum or to
other ribs.
Vertebral Column
There are normally 33 vertebrae in the human vertebral column. The upper 24 articulate
and are unfused, the lower 9 are fused. The fused vertebrae are the 5 in the sacrum
and 4 in the coccyx.
The articulating vertebrae are named according regions:
• Cervical vertebrae (seven vertebrae).
• Thoracic (twelve vertebrae).
• Lumbar (five vertebrae).
The first and second cervical vertebrae are the atlas and axis, respectively, on which
the head rests. The cervical vertebrae make up the junction between the vertebral
column and the cranium, and the bone makes up the junction between the vertebral
column and the pelvic bones.
The Appendicular Skeleton

The appendicular skeleton includes the skeletal elements within the limbs, as well as
supporting pectoral and pelvic girdles.
Key Points
• The appendicular skeleton comprises 126 bones and is involved in locomotion
and manipulation of objects in the environment.
• The bones of the appendicular skeleton are divided into two groups: the bones
that are located within the limbs themselves, and the girdle bones that attach the limbs
to the axial skeleton.
• The bones of the pectoral girdle anchor the upper limb to the thoracic cage of the
axial skeleton.
• The pelvic girdle is formed by a single bone and serves as the attachment point
for each lower limb.
Key Terms
• Girdle: A group of bones that connect the appendages to the axial skeleton.
• phalanges: The digital bones of the hands and feet (singular, phalanx).
• appendages: The parts of the body that extend from the axial trunk.
The appendicular skeleton of vertebrates, including humans, consists of the bones that
support and compose the appendages (for example, the arms and legs of humans). The
word appendicular is the adjective of the noun appendage.
The appendicular skeleton includes the skeletal elements within the limbs, as well as
supporting the pectoral and pelvic girdles.
The appendicular skeleton comprises 126 bones and is involved in locomotion and
manipulation of objects in the environment. It is unfused, allowing for greater range of
motion.
The appendicular skeleton is divided into six major regions:
Pectoral Girdle
The bones of the pectoral girdle consist of two bones (scapula and clavicle) and anchor
the upper limb to the thoracic cage of the axial skeleton.
The three regions of the upper limb are: arm (humerus), forearm (ulna medially and
radius laterally), and the hand.
The base of the hand contains eight bones (carpal bones), and the palm is formed by
five bones (metacarpal bones). The fingers and thumb contain a total of 14 bones,
called phalanges.
Pelvic Girdle
The pelvic girdle is formed by a single bone, the hip or coxal bone, and serves as the
attachment point for each lower limb. Each hip bone is joined to the axial skeleton by its
attachment to the sacrum of the vertebral column. The right and left hip bones attach to
each other anteriorly.
The lower limb contains 30 bones and is divided into three regions, the thigh, leg, and
foot. These consist of the femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsal bones, metatarsal bones,
and phalanges.
The femur is the single bone of the thigh.
The patella (kneecap) articulates with the distal femur.
The tibia is located on the medial side of the leg,
The fibula is the thin bone of the lateral leg.
The bones of the foot are divided into three groups, the tarsal bones, metatarsal bones,
and phalanges of the foot.

The Musculoskeletal System

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The Musculoskeletal System

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The Musculoskeletal System

Functions of the musculoskeletal system

 supports the body

The Axial Skeleton

The Appendicular Skeleton

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