Connected at the Hip (and Everywhere Else)
This tough, cord-like structure connects muscle to bone.
What is a tendon.
This type of muscle tissue is voluntary and attaches to bones.
What is skeletal muscle.
Sprinters rely on this muscle in the back of the thigh to flex the knee.
What is hamstrings.
This high-energy molecule fuels muscle contractions.
What is ATP.
The ability of muscle tissue to shorten when stimulated is called this.
What is contractility/contraction.
This strong connective tissue attaches bone to bone and helps stabilize joints.
What is a ligament.
This type of muscle tissue is involuntary and found in the walls of hollow organs.
What is smooth muscle.
A soccer player kicking a ball mainly uses this front-thigh muscle group.
What is quadriceps.
The point where a motor neuron meets a muscle fiber is called the ______.
What is the neuromuscular junction.
The dark and light bands seen in skeletal muscle under a microscope are due to the arrangement of these two proteins.
What is actin and myosin
These serve as the levers that muscles pull on to create movement.
What are bones.
This muscle tissue is striated, involuntary, and found only in the heart.
What is cardiac muscle.
When a swimmer pulls through the water, this chest muscle powers the stroke.
What is pectoralis major.
The neurotransmitter released at the neuromuscular junction.
What is acetylcholine (ACh).
When muscles waste away due to lack of use, it’s called this.
What is atrophy.
This tendon, the largest in the human body, connects your calf muscles to your heel bone.
What is the Achilles tendon.
In this type of contraction, the muscle shortens as it produces movement — like lifting a dumbbell.
What is a concentric contraction.
Cyclists depend heavily on this large gluteal muscle for hip extension.
What is the gluteus maximus.
This ion, stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, triggers muscle contraction.
What is calcium (Ca²⁺).
This type of muscle contraction produces tension but no movement.
What is isometric.
This tendon has a bone inside it and connects the quadriceps muscle to the tibia.
What is the patellar tendon.
In this type of contraction, the muscle lengthens under tension — like lowering a weight slowly.
What is an eccentric contraction.
A gymnast doing a sit-up primarily activates this muscle group.
What is the rectus abdominis.
When a muscle cannot relax due to rapid stimulation, it enters this state.
What is tetanus.
This is the outer connective tissue covering that surrounds the entire muscle.
What is epimysium.