The Muscular System - Chapter 4 Vocabulary

North Orange County ROP

MEDICAL CORE

Vocabulary

Chapter 4

THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM

CHAPTER 4 VOCABULARY

1. Abduction – is the movement of a limb (arm & leg) way from the midline of the body. Abduction is the muscle that moves a body part away from the midline.

2. Achilles tendon – attaches the gastrocnemius muscle (the major muscle of the calf of the leg) to the heel bone.

3. Adduction – is the muscle that moves a body part toward the midline.

4. Circumduction – is the circular movement at the far end of a limb.

5. Contraction – is the tightening of a muscle. As the muscle contracts, it becomes shorter and thicker, causing the belly (center) of the muscle to enlarge.

6. Extension – means increasing the angle between two bones or straightening out of a limb.

7. Flexion – means decreasing the angle between two bones by bending a limb at a joint (FLEX- means to bend and OIN means action)

8. Kinesi/o – movement

9. Ligament – are bands of fibrous tissue that form joints by connecting one bone to another bone of by joining a bone to cartilage.

10. Muscul/o – muscle

11. My/o – muscle

12. Pronation – is the act of rotating the arm or leg so that the palm of the hand or sole of the foot is turned downward backwards

13. Range of motion – is a diagnostic procedure to evaluate joint mobility and muscle strength range-of-motion exercises are used to increase strength, flexibility and mobility.

14. Striated – means striped. Skeletal muscles are also known as striated because under a microscope the dark and light bands in the muscle fibers create a striped appearance.