Support and Movement

Support and Movement

All living things need a support system to provide them with support , movement and to help them survive in a given environment. The support system in humans and animals consists of the skeleton or skeletal system and muscular system

Support and Movement

There are three basic types of support system in animals. They are : a) Exoskeleton b) Endoskeleton c) Hydrostatic skeleton

Support and Movement

Exoskeleton
The skeleton which is outside the body is called an exoskeleton. example animals such as insects, spiders, crabs, prawns, snails, and milipedes, the skeleton is a hard, outer skin or shell outside the body.

Support and Movement exoskeleton

Support and Movement

Exoskeleton

Invertebrates such as crab, lobster, cockles, mussels, snails, beetles and grasshoppers have a hard outer skin. This is called the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton of garden snails, mussels and crabs is a hard shell.

Support and Movement

Exoskeleton The exoskeleton of crabs, lobster, and snails consists of mainly of calcium carbonate. This is a hard substance that protects the soft body of the animal The outer covering of the exoskeleton of insects such as cockcroaches, centipedes, bees and grasshoppers is called the cuticle. The cuticle is made of chitin. It is hard and impermeable to water.

Support and Movement

The function of exoskeleton 1. To support the body and give it shape 2. To protect soft body tissues from damage 3. To prevent the body from drying out 4. To provide a surface for the muscles to attach themselves and to allow movement

Support and Movement

Endoskeleton
A skeleton which is inside the body is called an endoskeleton.Human beings, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals have an endoskeleton.

Support and Movement

The function of endoskeleton are;
1. To support the weight of the body 2. To maintain the shape of the body 3. To protect the soft organs inside the body such as the brain, heart, lungs and spinal cord 4. To allow the muscle in the human body a place to attach themselves. 5. To enable the limbs to move

Support and Movement

Hydrostatic skeletons.
Some invertebrates such as earthworms, leeches and caterpillars maintain their shape by the pressure of the liquid inside them. These organisms have hydrostatic skeletons.

Support and Movement

The hydrostatic skeleton is a muscular wall that encloses the body cavity of the animal. The high pressure acts on the inner walls of the animals body to support its body and maintain its shape

The human support system

1. The human skeleton is made up of 206 bones. 2. The main parts of the human skeletal system are the skull , backbone, ribs, girdles and limbs. a) The skull protects the brain b) The backbone supports the upper part of the body and also protects the spinal cord. The arrangement of the bones allows the backbone to turn and twist.

The human support system

c) The pectoral girdle supports the head and the arms d) The pelvic girdle supports the whole weight of the body. It also protects certain organs e) The limb bones allow the hands and legs to move easily

Support in land vertebrates

Support in land vertebrates

2. The backbone of four - legged land vertebrates such as the camel and the horse either curve upwards or downwards. The curve enables the backbone to withstand the heavy load acting on the animal 3. Big land animals such as elephant and the rhinoceros need strong and big pectoral and pelvic girdles to support their body weight 4. Big animals that have short legs with larger cross sections are more stable and can also support a heavier load.

Support in land vertebrates

The deer and antelope with hollow long bones can move faster. This is especially important to vertebrates such as birds. Hollow bones are stronger and lighter than compact bones. Therefore, land vertebrates benefit from the strength of their hollow bones without having bear the extra weight of solid bones.

Support in aquatic vertebrates 1. The support system of aquatic vertebrates is not same as land vertebrates because life in water is very different from life on land. 2. Aquatic vertebrates such as whales and dolphins have smaller and lighter endoskeletons than land vertebrates. 3. This is because a large part of their body weight is supported by water buoyancy. Water buoyancy helps aquatic animals to move in water.

Support in aquatic vertebrates

4. The pelvic girdles of many aquatic vertebrates are very small of non-existent. They are adapted only for swimming in water.
5. Whales have small skeletons when compared to their body size because a large part of their body weight is supported by water buoyancy.

Support in aquatic vertebrates