EFFECTORS ORGANS:

LOCOMOTION
1.- INTRODUCTION

Movements are possible thanks to the

relation between

 Muscles: an active part,

which is responsible for
changes in the position of our
bones we move.

 Bones: a passive part.

2.- BONES

Bones contain calcium salts, which makes them hard and living cells
that allow them to grow and knit together after a break.

There are two types of bone

tissue:

• Spongy bone tissue has

cavities and gives bones their
particular characteristics.

• Compact bone tissue is solid

and has no holes in it.
2.1- TYPES OF BONES

Long bones

Long bones have spongy bone

tissue at the ends (epiphysis) and
compact bone in the central part
(diaphysis).
These provide support and
movement.

Examples of this type of bone are

found in the limbs.
Flat bones
Flat bones are flat like a
sheet. They are made up
of an internal layer of
spongy bone tissue which
is restricted by two layers
of compact bone tissue.
Their function is to protect,
like the skull and the
shoulder blade.
Short bones
Short bones are rounded
and they are made up of
compact bone tissue on
the outside and spongy
bone tissue on the inside.
Examples of short bones
are the vertebrae and the
wrist bones.
2.2- CARTILAGE AND JOINTS
Cartilage

The skeleton is also made up

cartilage. Cartilage is less hard than
bone and does not contain calcium
salts. Cartilage is found in the ears,
the front part of the nose, and
between the vertebrae. lt also forms
the skeleton of embryos.

There are areas of cartilage in the

long bones; these remain far a long
time, which allows the bones to
grow. When these areas calcify
completely, an
individual stops growing.
Joints

Bones link together and form joints. There are three kinds of joint:
fixed, mobile, and semi-mobile.

• Fixed joints, also called sutures, stop the bones moving. The skull
bones are connected by this kind of joint.
• Mobile joints allow us to change
position. There is a lubricating
liquid in these joints, called
synovial fluid, which stops them
rubbing. In these types of joint
there are ligaments that keep the
bones together.

The elbow, the shoulder, and the

knee are examples of this kind of
joint.

• Semi-mobile joints only allow a

limited movement of the bones,
for example between the
vertebrae.
2.3- BONE´S FUNCTIONS
 To allow anchorage for the muscles and
to act as passive organs in the locomotor
system.

 To support the body and act as a frame

in the form of our skeleton.
 To protect delicate organs like the brain
and the spinal cord.

 To store calcium, which can be released

into the bloodstream when the body
needs it.

 To make blood cells in the red bone

marrow of some bones.
3.- MUSCLES
Muscles are in charge of mantintaining the posture of the body and perform
movements of bones as well as internals organs. They work as a lever connected
with the bones to wich they are joined by tendons.
Muscles are made up of groups of muscle bundles which themselves are made up
of groups of elongated muscle fibres
Tendon: tissue that attaches
muscle to other dody parts
3.1- TYPES OF MUSCLES
Muscles can be classified according to the
cells that form them, or according to their

According to the cells that form them, they

can be:

Striated muscle fibre: these muscles join with

bones and are responsible for the movement
of these bones. They contract voluntarily.
They are fast and persistent
• Smooth muscle fibre: these are part of the
internal organs. Their contraction is
involuntary; it is slow and long lasting.
According to their shape, they can be long, flat or
circular:

• Long or fusiform: These normally play a role in the

movement of the body. Biceps and triceps are fusiform
muscles.

• Flat: these generally cover and protect organs. The

chest and abdominal muscles are examples of this
particular type.

• Circular or sphincters: these close or open a cavity or

duct. Some of them are found in the eyes and lips.
3.2- MUSCLE STRUCTURE
Muscles are formed by groups of
muscle tissues that are made up of
elongated muscle cells.
Both the muscle tissues and the whole
muscle itself are covered by a
protective layer.
The point where all of the protective
layers join is where the tendon are,
forming the junction between muscles
and bones. Tendons resist stretching
movements and this is why, when the
muscle contracts, they transmit the
movement to the bone.
3.3- MUSCULAR CONTRACTION
Muscles contract by widening and shortening their fibres. A motor
nerve acts on a muscle and the muscle cell use energy to contract.
This energy is obtained from respiration in cells, which recquiers a
source of energy and oxygen.
For muscle contraction to produce the desired movement, various
muscles must be coordinated at the same time. Muscles that
coordinate to make a specific movement are called agonist muscles.
Antagonist muscles act against agonists: when one contracts, the
other relaxes. This is the case with the biceps and the triceps, which
move the forearm bones.
3.4- MUSCLE SYSTEM
It is formed of all the striated
muscles in the body, of which
there are almost 500