Chapter: Joints

The place where bones meet is called a joint. In some joints, such as those in the skull, the
bones are fused together and cannot move. Most joints, however, allow some movement. Some
joints, such as the elbow or knee, are called hinge joints because the movement is like the hinge
on a door.

The bones can only move forwards or backwards. A few joints, such as the hip and
shoulder joints, are called ball-and-socket joints because the end of one bone forms a round
structure, like a ball, that ts into a cup-shaped socket. This allows movement backwards and
forwards, from side to side and even circular movement, as when you move your arm in a circle.
Two examples of the hinge joint are the elbow joint and the knee joint. Two examples of the ball-
and-socket joint are the hip joint and shoulder joint.

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SCIENCE IN CONTEXT
X ray photographs of joints

When a joint is damaged through illness such as arthritis, or injury such as can occur in
sport, doctors investigate by taking X ray photographs of the joint to help them plan a course of
treatment.X rays are a form of energy that can pass through esh such as muscles and skin, but
they are stopped by the material in bones, and this is what makes bones visible on X ray
photographs.

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A Figure 1.5 The muscles in your arm

The muscle action is producing movement across a hinge joint. To understand this action we
need to look more closely at what is going on under the skin. Muscle is made up from tissue that
has the power to move.
It can contract to become shorter. A muscle is attached to two bones across a joint. When muscle
gets shorter, it exerts a pulling force. This moves one of the bones, but the other stays stationary.
For example, the biceps muscle in the upper arm is attached to the shoulder blade and to the
radius bone in the forearm. When the biceps shortens (or contracts), it exerts a pulling force on
the radius and raises the forearm.

A muscle cannot lengthen or extend itself. It needs a pulling force to stretch it again. This force is
provided by another muscle. The two muscles are arranged so that when one contracts it pulls on
the other muscle, which relaxes and lengthens. For example, in the upper arm, the triceps muscle
is attached to the shoulder blade, humerus and ulna. When it contracts, the biceps relaxes and
the force exerted by the triceps lengthens the biceps and pulls the forearm down. When the
biceps contracts again, the triceps relaxes and the force exerted by the biceps lengthens the
triceps again and raises the forearm. The action of one muscle produces an opposite e ect on the
other muscle and causes movement in the opposite direction. The two muscles are therefore
called an antagonistic muscle pair. The action can be summarised as follows:

• Biceps contract, triceps relaxes, lower arm raised

• Biceps relaxes,triceps contracts, lower arms lowered

CHALLENGE YOURSELF
How does a muscle feel when it contracts and relaxes?
Stand up and let your left arm hang down by your side. Spread out the ngers of your right hand
and push them into your biceps muscle. Move your ngers around a little to feel the muscle. Raise
your left forearm, keeping the upper arm still, and feel the muscle with your ngertips. Lower your
forearm again and feel the muscle.
Describe any changes that you felt in the muscle.

Science Extra: Muscles and sports injuries

If a muscle is suddenly stretched hard, an injury called a pulled muscle can occur. One set of
muscles which can be damaged in this way are the hamstring muscles at the back of the upper
leg. They may be damaged by running hard in a sprinting race. Another set of muscles which can
also be damaged in sports are the muscles on the inside of the top of the leg from hip to knee in
an area called the groin. Groin injuries, called groin strains, can be caused by kicking, jumping,
running and twisting at the same time.

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Comprehension Check:

1. What is the term for the place where bones meet?

a) Tissue
b) Joint
c) Muscle
d) Ligament

2. Which joints allow movement like a hinge on a door?

a) Ball-and-socket joints
b) Skull joints
c) Elbow and knee joints
d) Hip and shoulder joints

3. What is the main characteristic of ball-and-socket joints?

a) Movement forwards and backwards
b) Limited movement
c) Circular movement
d) No movement

4. How do X-rays help doctors investigate joint damage?

a) By stopping bone growth
b) By passing through esh
c) By taking photographs
d) By causing muscle contraction

5. What is the main purpose of X-ray photographs of joints?

a) To diagnose arthritis
b) To assess and plan treatment
c) To prevent injury
d) To improve joint exibility

6. What type of joint is the elbow?

a) Hinge joint
b) Ball-and-socket joint
c) Skull joint
d) Fixed joint

7. What provides the pulling force to move bones across a joint?

a) Ligaments
b) Muscles
c) Tendons
d) Cartilage

8. What happens when a muscle contracts?

a) It gets longer
b) It gets weaker
c) It exerts a pulling force
d) It becomes stationary

9. How does a muscle feel when it contracts?

a) It becomes softer
b) It becomes harder
c) It becomes longer
d) It becomes shorter

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10. What is the function of the triceps muscle in the upper arm?
a) It raises the forearm
b) It lowers the forearm
c) It contracts when the biceps relaxes
d) It contracts when the biceps contracts

11. What is the action of an antagonistic muscle pair?

a) They both contract simultaneously
b) They both relax simultaneously
c) They produce movement in the same direction
d) They produce movement in opposite directions

12. What happens when the biceps muscle contracts?

a) The triceps muscle relaxes
b) The forearm is lowered
c) The upper arm is raised
d) The forearm is raised

13. What is the cause of a pulled muscle injury?

a) Sudden stretching
b) Lack of exercise
c) Weak ligaments
d) Excessive hydration

14. Which muscles can be damaged by running hard in a sprinting race?

a) Biceps
b) Quadriceps
c) Hamstrings
d) Deltoids

15. What type of injury is caused by kicking, jumping, running, and twisting simultaneously?
a) Groin strain
b) Shoulder dislocation
c) Knee sprain
d) Elbow fracture

16. What muscle action produces movement across a hinge joint?

a) Stretching
b) Shortening
c) Relaxing
d) Weakening

17. What is the main characteristic of a hinge joint?

a) Circular movement
b) Limited movement
c) Ball-and-socket structure
d) Immobility

18. How do doctors plan a course of treatment for joint damage?

a) By performing surgery immediately
b) By ignoring X-ray results
c) By analyzing X-ray photographs
d) By avoiding further investigation

19. Which joint allows movement backwards and forwards, side to side, and circular movement?
a) Skull joint
b) Elbow joint
c) Hip joint
d) Ball-and-socket joint

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20. What is the primary function of muscle tissue relative to bone?
a) To provide support to bones
b) To protect internal organs
c) To produce movement
d) To store energy

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