THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM

Muscles are cells that help us move by contracting and relaxing. Movement is triggered by a message from the brain which travels through the spinal cord and nerves to the muscles.

The human skeleton, which is the internal framework of the body, is composed of more than 200 bones in different shapes and sizes.  The smallest are found in the human ear and the largest is the thigh bone. The bones’ function is to provide support to the body, store minerals and lipids, protect body organs, produce blood cells and support movement. 

Joints are the areas in which two or more bones meet that enable different types of movement. There are different types of joints. The knee is the largest joint in the human body followed by the hips which are the second biggest joints. 

The bones on either side of a joint are joined by ligaments. These firm and fibrous strands of connective tissue are not very elastic and so provide stability for the joint. If you twist your ankle, the ligaments can overstretch or tear, however they can also protect the ankle from becoming dislocated. 

Tendons are a fibrous connective tissue that connect the muscles to the bone. Tendons come in different shapes and sizes. Muscle contractions are transferred through the tendons to the bones and the bones move against each other in the joint, resulting in movement.