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Chapter 38

The Musculoskeletal System

Book Version 32
By Boundless
Boundless Biology
Biology
by Boundless
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Section 1
Types of Skeletal Systems
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Functions of the Musculoskeletal System

The musculoskeletal system provides form, support, stability, and movement to the body.

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Types of Skeletal Systems

The hydrostatic skeleton, exoskeleton, and endoskeleton support, protect, and provide movement to the bodies of different types of animals.

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Human Axial Skeleton

The axial skeleton forms the central axis of the human body and consists of the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage.

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Human Appendicular Skeleton

The appendicular skeleton supports the attachment and functions of the upper and lower limbs of the human body.

Section 2
Bone
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Bone

Bones are made of a combination of compact bone tissue for strength and spongy bone tissue for compression in response to stresses.

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Cell Types in Bones

The osteoblast, osteoclast, osteocyte, and osteoprogenitor bone cells are responsible for the growing, shaping, and maintenance of bones.

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Bone Development

Intramembranous ossification stems from fibrous membranes in flat bones, while endochondral ossification stems from long bone cartilage.

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Growth of Bone

Long bones lengthen at the epiphyseal plate with the addition of bone tissue and increase in width by a process called appositional growth.

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Bone Remodeling and Repair

Bone is remodeled through the continual replacement of old bone tissue, as well as repaired when fractured.

Section 3
Joints and Skeletal Movement
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Classification of Joints on the Basis of Structure and Function

Joints, responsible for movement and stability of the skeleton, can be classified based on structure or function.

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Movement at Synovial Joints

Synovial joints allow for many types of movement including gliding, angular, rotational, and special movements.

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Types of Synovial Joints

Synovial joints include planar, hinge, pivot, condyloid, saddle, and ball-and-socket joints, which allow varying types of movement.

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Bone and Joint Disorders

The most common bone and joint disorder are types of arthritis.

Section 4
Muscle Contraction and Locomotion
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Structure and Function of the Muscular System

The muscular system controls numerous functions, which is possible with the significant differentiation of muscle tissue morphology and ability. 

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Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Skeletal muscles are composed of striated subunits called sarcomeres, which are composed of the myofilaments actin and myosin.

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Sliding Filament Model of Contraction

In the sliding filament model, the thick and thin filaments pass each other, shortening the sarcomere.

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ATP and Muscle Contraction

ATP is critical for muscle contractions because it breaks the myosin-actin cross-bridge, freeing the myosin for the next contraction.

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Regulatory Proteins

Tropomyosin and troponin prevent myosin from binding to actin while the muscle is in a resting state.

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Excitation–Contraction Coupling

Excitation–contraction coupling is the connection between the electrical action potential and the mechanical muscle contraction.

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Control of Muscle Tension

Muscle tension is influenced by the number of cross-bridges that can be formed.

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The Musculoskeletal System
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