10

Body Movements
Expected Learning Outcomes
Knowledge to be gained: •Gait of different animals •Movement in humans •Human skeleton
•Bones and joints • Human muscular system
Skill to be developed: •Identi cation of various types of joints.
Attitude to be inculcated: •Understanding the basic components of our body framework and
taking care of them.
WHY DO WE MOVE? move on four legs and some, like us, move on
Movement is one of the main characteristics two legs. Accordingly, the bodies of all
of living organisms. Animals move from one animals have special arrangements of organs
place to another in search of food, shelter to help them move. Most animals on land
and self-defence. We humans move all the move through their limbs. e pattern of
time. We move from place to place for movement of animals, including humans,
studying, working and entertainment. is called their gait.
Plants show very slow movement, which is
GAITS OF ANIMALS
not visible. ough they do not move from
their place, their root and shoot systems Animals move by crawling, creeping,
show movement. walking, running, hopping, ying and
swimming. e mode of movement depends
e way of movement is different in different
on the habitat and body structure. Let us
animals. Birds and some insects y, sh
study movement in some common animals.
swim, snakes crawl, frogs hop, some animals
Body Movements 127
Movement in Earthworm Movement in Snail
Have you closely observed an earthworm e body of a snail is enclosed in a calcareous
moving on soil? e body of an earthworm is (made of calcium) shell. e shell is hard and
made up of ring-like structures called in exible, and forms the exoskeleton. It has
segments (Fig.1). ere are hair-like an opening on the lower side.
structures, called bristles, attached to the Shell
underside of these segments. ese help the Tentacles
earthworm to get a grip on the ground while
moving.
e earthworm has no bones. It moves only Head
with the help of muscles. It extends and Muscular foot
shortens its body with the help of its muscles.
Fig.2 Snail moves with its muscular foot
ese muscles expand and contract
During movement, the shell aperture opens
alternatively. While moving, the earthworm
and a large muscular foot and head of the
extends the front part of the body, keeping
snail come out. e snail moves with the help
the rear end xed to the ground. en, it xes
of this muscular foot which expands and
the front end and releases the rear end. It
contracts, producing a kind of a wavy effect.
then shortens the body and pulls the rear end
is expansion and contraction is similar to
forward. is makes the earthworm move
the gait of an earthworm. e glands in the
forward.
Segments Stationary foot secrete a slippery substance and the
earthworm
Back Front snail creeps slowly by the slipp er y
movements of the foot caused by the
(a)
Back part remains
contraction of foot muscles.
xed to the ground Front part extends
Movement in Cockroach
(b) A cockroach can y as well as run because it
Back part released and pulled ahead has two pairs of wings for ying and three
Distance moved
pairs of legs for walking and running. e
(c) body of a cockroach is covered with a hard
Fig.1 Movement of an earthworm
chitinous exoskeleton, which is divided into
You know that earthworms are known as a
rings around the body.
farmer's friend. is is because as they
move, they keep eating the soil and then e cockroach has three pairs of legs. e
throw out the undigested part. So, they forelegs pull the body forward and the
create a lot of pores in the soil that help air hindlegs push the body from behind. e
and water to get into the soil. claws and adhesive pads at the end of the legs

128 Exploring Science-6

help the cockroaches to climb. the middle portion of the body, and the body
e two pairs of wings of a cockroach help in tapers at both ends. is shape of the body
ying. helps it to move in water. Fish have a bony
skeleton.
Fish have ns for locomotion. eir fore-
Eye limbs and hindlimbs are modi ed as ns.
Leg

Forewings
ey have powerful muscles in the tail to
push the water backwards.
Hindwings Dorsal n
Eye Caudal n
Claw

Fig.3 A cockroach moves with its legs and wings

Knowledge Booster
Gills
• Cockroaches can fly for short distances and for
Tail
a short dura on. They can run very fast on Lateral n
their hindlegs.
• Scien sts have designed robots that walk like Fig.4 A sh showing aquatic adaptations
the cockroach. ey gain the power to move forward by
Movement in Fish moving their tail ns from side to side while
Fish have a streamlined body. It means that curving the rest of their body alternately to
the head and tail of the sh are smaller than the le and to the right (Fig.5).

Direction of movement

Muscles on the right side Muscles on the

of the body contract and right side relax
pull the tail to the right
Muscles on the Muscles on the le side
le side relax of the body contract and
pull the tail to the le

e tail pushes e tail pushes water

water to the right to the le and backward
and backward

Fig.5 A sh moves in water by moving its tail n from side to side

Body Movements 129
Movement in Snakes e following body structures help a bird
Snakes do not have legs. eir body is long in ying:
and cylindrical and is supported with a long u e body is streamlined(spindle-
backbone. e well-developed body muscles shaped) to make its way in the air.
are connected to each other and to the u Bones are hollow, but strong. ey are
backbone, ribs and skin. e contraction of lled with air. is makes the body of a
muscles creates curves or loops along the bird light for ying in the air.
body. Each loop creates a push, and hence u eir forelimbs are modi ed into wings.
the snake moves in a zig-zag manner.
u eir shoulder bones are strong.
Pushes the ground u e breast bone is broad for the
attachment of breast muscles.
u Powerful breast muscles move the wings
Loop Loop Direction of
movement up and down ( apping of wings).
Pushes the ground
Wings moving upwards

Fig.6 Snake moves by forming loops

Movement in Birds
Birds have wings to y in the air. ey also Wings moving
downwards and
have a pair of legs for walking on the ground. forwards
Some birds, like ducks, can swim in water as
well. Head Eye Fig.8 Movement of the wings of a bird
Beak
Neck Birds y by apping their wings. By the
contraction of ight muscles, wings move
Wings
downwards and forward. e downstroke of
the wings pushes the air downwards and
backward, and the body is pushed upwards
Tail feather Clawed toes
Legs and forward. Birds keep their wings up to
Fig.7 Body structure of a bird move downwards.
Checkpoint-1
Write True or False
1. Animals move by crawling, creeping and walking. ____________
2. e shell of a snail is so and exible. ____________
3. Cockroaches can y as well as run. ____________
4. Snakes do not have legs. ____________

130 Exploring Science-6

MOVEMENT IN HUMANS „ Protection: Bones protect the delicate
Humans (like many other animals) display organs (like the brain, heart, lungs, spinal
two types of body movement: cord and liver) of our body. For example,
(1) Movements of body parts (like arms, the skull protects the brain, and the rib-
legs, head, mouth, etc.). cage protects our lungs and heart.
„ Movement: Several bones are joined at
(2) Locomotion (movement of the whole
different points (called joints), which
body from one place to another).
facilitate the movement of body parts
Humans walk, run or swim to move from and locomotion.
one place to another. Bones, along with
„ Production of blood cells: Bones
joints and muscles, help in the movement of
contain a so and spongy substance
various body parts. Humans display both
inside them called the bone marrow.
body part movement and locomotion.
Bone marrow produces blood cells.
e Human Skeleton
e framework of bones in the body is
Skull
called the skeleton. e skeleton gives
shape to the body. When you were born, Jaw bone

your skeleton had around 300 bones. By the Collar bone

time you become an adult, you will have
only 206 bones. is is because as you Humerus
Ribs
grow, some of the bones fuse together. e
skeleton is made up of hard bones which Backbone

cannot bend. e bones give proper shape to Hip girdle

Radius
the body, and also protect the delicate body Ulna

parts from injuries. Bones are held Hand bones

together by the strands of tough tissue Femur
called ligaments. A joint is a point where
two bones are joined together. Knee cap

Functions of the human skeleton Tibia

„ Support: e skeleton provides a hard Fibula
framework to support all body parts and
keep the body upright. Without this
Foot bones
framework, the various body parts
would not be able to hold themselves to
their respective positions. Fig.9 Human skeletal system

Body Movements 131

 COMPONENTS OF THE HUMAN each other. ey are arranged in the shape of
SKELETON the letter 'S' (See Fig.11). Each vertebra has a
e human skeleton consists of four basic hole in the middle through which the spinal
parts— the skull, the backbone (spine), the cord runs.
rib cage and the limbs. Functions of the backbone
Skull u It encloses and protects the delicate
e skull is the bony part of our head spinal cord.
which surrounds and protects the brain. It u e backbone holds the head and body
is made up of many bones. It protects the upright.
brain from injury. All bones in the skull are u e joints in the vertebrae enable us to
immovable, except the lower jaw. e lower bend and twist our backbone.
jaw helps us to talk and chew food. e skull
Rib Cage
also protects the eyes, ears, and nose.
It is a cage-like structure in the chest
e Backbone (Vertebral Column) region of our body. It is formed of 12 pairs
e long hard bony structure running of ribs. ese ribs are long curved bones that
from the back of the neck to the hips, inside are joined to the sternum (the breastbone)
the body, is called the backbone. e on the front side, and to the backbone on the
backbone is also called the vertebral backside. Rib cage protects our heart and
column or the spine. e backbone is strong lungs.
and exible. It is made of 33 irregularly e last two pairs of ribs are not joined to the
shaped bones, called vertebrae, joined to breastbone. ey are called the oating ribs.

Sternum
Cranium (Breastbone)

Brain
inside

Eye socket
Spinal cord
Vertebrae
Base of nose

Lower jaw
Floating ribs
Side view

Fig.10 e human skull Fig.11 e backbone Fig.12 e rib cage

132 Exploring Science-6
 Collar bone
Pelvic girdle
Humerus

Radius Pelvis
Ulna

Femur Shoulder blade

(behind rib cage)

Fig.13 Bones of arm Fig.14 Hip bones Fig.15 Shoulder bones

Limbs are attached to the lower end of the
ere are two pairs of limbs in the human backbone and the thigh bones. e hip
body. e forelimbs (arms) help us to do region is supported by two large and at
various tasks, like holding things, and the bony pieces. ese are called the pelvic
girdles. Each hip bone is formed by the
hindlimbs (legs) are used for walking,
fusion of three bones.
running, etc.
e hip bones, along with the hip and the tail
Nearly half of the bones in our body are in
vertebra, form a large bony bowl, called the
our hands, wrists, feet and ankles. e
pelvis. e pelvis encloses reproductive
longest bone in our body, the femur (thigh
organs, the large intestine and the rectum.
bone), is a part of our hind limbs (Fig.14).
Our thigh bones are joined to our hip bones
Shoulder Bones by a ball and socket joint.
e shoulder region of the body is supported
Knowledge Booster
by a pair of shoulder blades and a pair of
• Thigh bone (femur) is the longest bone in the
collar bones. ese are connected to the body.
anterior part of chest region. e bones of • Each forelimb and hindlimb consists of 30
arms are connected to the shoulder blades. bones.
e head of the bone of each upper arm JOINTS
rotates in the cavity of the shoulder blade. e point where two bones connect with
Because of this setup, we are able to rotate each other is called a joint. e bones
our arms in a circular movement. is is an around a joint are connected to each other by
example of a ball and socket joint. We are a strong brous tissue called the ligament.
going to study about joints in the upcoming Movement of various body parts is
section.
possible only at the joints.
Hip Bones When muscles contract, they pull the bones
e hip bones form a basin-like frame, and and make them move. Movement always
Body Movements 133
occurs along joints. e bones of elbows, turn it sideways onto the le or right-
knees and ngers have movable joints. ese hand side.
movable joints allow us to move our arms, (b) Ball and Socket joint: e joint in
legs and ngers. However, not all joints which the rounded end of one bone ts
assist in the movement of body parts. e into the cavity (hollow space) of the
bone of the cranium in the skull and facial other bone is called a ball and socket
bones have immovable joints. joint ( Fig.18).
Types of Joints Ball and socket joint permits the
Different types of joints are: movement of the bone in all directions.
Joints
e joints between the shoulder and the
upper arm bone (humerus) and the joint
Movable Slightly Immovable
between the thigh bone (femur) and hip
joints movable joints joints are ball and socket joints.
(c) Hinge joint: ese joints work like a
1. Movable joints
door hinge. In this type of joint, the
e joints that allow motion or movement convex (slightly bulging) surface of one
are called movable joints. ese joints have bone ts into the concave (slightly
a lubricating uid, which keeps the joint
depressed) surface of another bone,
frictionless and smooth and helps in the free
allowing movement in only one
movement of organs.
direction. For example, the hinge joint at
Examples of movable joints are as follows: your elbow allows you to bend your
(a) Pivot joint: is type of joint is found forearm and straighten it. It does not let
between the skull and the neck (Fig.17). you bend your arm backwards or
It allows you to move your head sideways. e same is true for the knee
forward or backward, and to rotate or joint as well. (Fig.19)

Pelvic girdle

Bone

Femoral head
Cartilage
Ligaments

Femur

Fig.16 Joints allow easy movement Fig.17 Pivot joint (neck) Fig.18 Ball and Socket joint
134 Exploring Science-6
 Femur

Tibia

Tibia Fibula

Gliding joint Foot bones

Side view Front view

Fig.19 Hinge joint Fig.20 Gliding joint Fig.21 Immovable joint

2. Slightly movable or Gliding joints e muscles attached to the bones pull the
 e s e j oi nt s f a c i l it ate t h e g l i d i ng bones to make them move at the joints.
movement of one bone over the surface of Muscle can only pull the bone. ey cannot
another bone. ere is only a small amount push them. To move the bones in one
of movement in which two bones glide over direction, at least two muscles are required.
each other.
For example, the biceps and the triceps move
e movement in vertebrae of the backbone
your lower arm in the up and down direction
that allows you to bend is because of their
(Fig.23). These muscles pull the bones and
gliding joints. Similarly, the bones in the
wrist and foot show gliding movement. help in their movement. The leg muscles
ese are not freely moving joints. help to walk and jump. The arm muscles help
3. Immovable joints to lift things. The facial muscles help to
Joints which are permanently xed are smile, blink, and wink. Muscles which are
called immovable joints. ese joints do not attached to the bones do things like
not allow any movement between the pushing the food into the alimentary canal,
bones. For example, the bones of the skull pumping the blood, etc.
(except the lower jaw bones) are interlocked A muscle is a tough and elastic tissue that
with each other and held together by brous makes body parts move. Most animals have
cartilage, which does not allow any
some type of muscle to make various
movement.
movements, such as walking, throwing and
MUSCLES catching. Muscles also help in performing
Bones cannot move by themselves. ey activities necessary for the growth and
need something else to make them move. maintenance of a strong healthy body.
Body Movements 135
Types of Muscles
Humans have three different kinds of
muscles:
1. Voluntary muscles
These muscles are those which are under our
control. They work according to our will. We
can control the movement of our arms and
legs by controlling the voluntary muscles.
These muscles are used in running, walking,
eating, laughing, etc. Our arms and legs have
voluntary muscles. Voluntary muscles are
also called striped muscles.
2. Non-voluntary or involuntary muscles
The muscles which are not under our control
are called non-voluntary or involuntary
muscles. For example, the walls of the
stomach, food pipe, eyes, etc., are involuntary
muscles. They work on their own. These
muscles are also called smooth muscles.
3. Cardiac muscles Fig.22 Muscular system

Cardiac muscles are found in the heart. The walls of the heart’s chambers are composed of
muscle fibres. Cardiac muscle, though a striped muscle, is an involuntary muscle. Its
rhythmic, powerful contractions force blood out of the heart as it beats.

Bicpes
(contracted)
Bicpes Triceps
(relaxed) (contracted)

Triceps
(relaxed)

Fig.23 Two muscles (biceps and triceps) work together to move the arm from the elbow

136 Exploring Science-6

Keywords
Gait : The pattern of movement of animals including humans.
Exoskeleton : A rigid external covering for the body in some invertebrate animals.
Streamlined shape : A shape that is broad in the middle and narrow at each end.
Spindle shape : A shape that has a circular cross-section and is narrow at each end.
Fuse : Join together.
Bone marrow : So spongy substance inside the bone where red blood cells are made.
Joint : The point where the two bones connect with each other.
Cartilage : So covering at the ends of bones at the joints.
Ligament : Strong brous tissue holding bones together at the joints.

Points to Remember
u Movement is one of the characteristics of living beings.
u e pattern of movement of animals, including humans, is called their gait.
u Animals move from place to place for food, shelter, mate for reproduction and self-defence.
u Earthworms are known as a farmer's friend.
u Earthworms and snails move by expanding and contracting some of their body parts
alternately.
u Fish move by moving their tail ns from side to side, while curving the rest of their body.
u Snakes move by forming loops in a zig-zag manner and birds y using wings.
u e skeleton gives shape to the body.
u e bones, muscles and joints work together to make the movement of human beings
possible.
u An adult human being has 206 bones.
u e skull protects the brain.
u e backbone holds the head and body upright.
u e rib cage protects the lungs and the heart.
u ere are two pairs of limbs in the human body—the forelimbs and the hindlimbs.
u e point where the two bones connect with each other is called joint.
u e main type of joints that allow movement in our body are—pivot joint (eg., neck), ball and
socket joint (eg., shoulder), hinge joint (eg., knee) and gliding joint (eg., wrist).
u A muscle is a tough and elastic tissue that makes body parts move.

Body Movements 137

 Exercise
A. Tick (3) the Correct Option
1. Animals move from place to place for _____________.
(a) food (b) shelter
(c) self-defence (d) all of these
2. How many pairs of legs does a cockroach have?
(a) One pair (b) Two pairs
(c) Three pairs (d) None of these
3. How many bones does a child have?
(a) 150 (b) 206
(c) 300 (d) 190
4. e rib-cage is formed of _____________.
(a) three pairs of ribs (b) six pairs of ribs
(c) nine pairs of ribs (d) twelve pairs of ribs
5. Which of the following is a movable joint?
(a) Hinge joint (b) Pivotal joints
(c) Ball and socket joint (d) All of these
6. Joints which are permanently xed are called _____________.
(a) movable joints (b) immovable joints
(c) hinge joints (d) none of these
7. _____________ is a tough and elastic tissue that makes body parts move.
(a) Bone (b) Muscle
(c) Blood (d) Cartilage
B. Fill in the Blanks with Suitable Words
1. e body of a _____________ is enclosed in a calcareous shell.
2. Cockroaches have _____________ pair of wings and _____________ pair of legs.
3. _____________ have streamlined body.
4. Birds have _____________ to y in the air.
5. An adult human body has _____________ number of bones.
6. A _____________ is a point where two bones are joined together.

138 Exploring Science-6

C. Very Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. What is the gait of an animal?
2. e bones of a bird are hollow and lled with air. True or False?
3. e streamlined body of a sh means tapering of the body in the middle. True or False?
4. Which body part of the sh helps in its movement?
5. Name any two organs that are protected by the rib cage.
6. What is the use of the hind limbs in human beings?
7. What is a joint?
8. What is a ligament?
9. What do you mean by movable joints?
10. Give an example of each:
(a) pivot joint (b) ball and socket joint
D. Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. Explain the movement of a snail.
2. Describe the gait of a cockroach.
3. Why are earthworms called the friends of a farmer?
4. Explain brie y the functions of the skeleton.
5. Where is the skull found? What is its main function?
6. What is bone marrow? What is its function?
7. What are oating ribs?
8. What are movable joints? Give some examples.
E. Long-Answer-Type Questions
1. With the help of labelled diagrams, explain the following:
(a) How do sh move? (b) How do earthworms move
2. Write a brief note on the structure and function of the backbone.
3. Write a brief note on movable joints and their types.
4. Explain the characteristics of a bird which help them y.
5. Write a brief note on slightly movable joints and immovable joints.

Body Movements 139

HOTS
1. What would happen if there were no freely movable joints in our body?
2. Why is X-ray used for examining any fracture/dislocation of bones?
3. What would happen if your backbone turns into a single long bone instead of many
vertebrae?

Activity Zone
A. Collect information about movement in different animals and draw or paste their pictures in a
scrapbook. Fill in the following table based on your gathered information:

Body-parts used for moving from How does the animal

Animals
place to place move?

Cow Legs Walk

Humans

Snake Whole body Slither

Bird

Insect

Fish

B. Try to move the various parts of your body and record their movements in the table given
below. Why is it that we are unable to move some parts at all, while we can move a few parts in
various directions and some parts only in one direction?
Movement

Body parts Rotates completely Rotates Bends Lis Does not move
partly/turns at all

Neck Yes

Wrist

Finger

Knee

Toe

Back

Elbow

Arm Yes

140 Exploring Science-6

Science Excursion
C. Make a group of four students and plan a visit to an orthopaedic doctor. Request him/her for
an interview. Try to enquire about various bone-related injuries and diseases.

Memory Map

Body-part movement Locomotion

types

MOVEMENT

in in

Animals Humans
examples use

uses Joints
Earthworm Segment muscle
types

Snail uses
Muscular foot Movable Slightly Immovable
joints movable joints joints
Cockroach uses Wings & legs Gliding joints
uses
Fish Fins
Pivotal joint
uses Loop-forming muscles
Snake Hinge joint
uses
Bird Wings & legs Ball and Socket joint

e-Resources
Please visit the link given below or scan the QR code for more resources on
this Chapter:
https://www.megamindpublication.com/s-1-science/b-1-exploring-science-6/c-19/body-movements.html

Body Movements 141