Ch. 7.5 Muscular System Key terms
Movement of a limb away from the midline of the body.
Abduction
A condition where a muscle or group of muscles becomes permanently and painfully shortened, often restricting joint movement
Contracture
An action that increases the angle between two bones or body parts; the straightening movement.
Extension
A state of slight, constant contraction in healthy muscles that keeps them firm, ready to respond, and helps maintain posture.
Muscle Tone
The movement of a bone or body part around its own axis.
Rotation
Movement of a limb toward the midline of the body
Adduction
Bending the foot at the ankle so that the toes move upward toward the shin.
Dorsiflexion
A sheet or layer of fibrous connective tissue that covers, separates, or binds together muscles and other soft structures of the body.
Fascia
The organ system composed of skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles; responsible for movement, posture, and heat production
Muscular System
Voluntary, striated muscle tissue typically attached to bones; responsible for body movement.
Skeletal Muscle
Involuntary, striated muscle tissue found exclusively in the walls of the heart; it is responsible for pumping blood
Cardiac Muscle
The ability of a muscle fiber to recoil and return to its original resting length after being stretched.
Elasticity
An action that decreases the angle between two bones or body parts; the bending movement.
Flexion
The attachment site of a muscle to the less movable or stationary bone or structure.
Origin
Rotation of the forearm so the palm faces anteriorly (forward) or upward.
Supination
A combination of flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction that results in a circular movement of a body part
Circumduction
The ability of a muscle fiber to receive and respond to a stimulus (like a nerve impulse); also called responsiveness
Excitability
The attachment site of a muscle to the more movable bone or structure.
Insertion
Bending the foot at the ankle so that the toes move downward away from the shin (e.g., pointing the toes
Plantar Flexion
Strong, flexible, non-elastic cords of dense fibrous connective tissue that connect muscle to bone
Tendons
The ability of a muscle to shorten forcibly when adequately stimulated.
Contractibility
The ability of a muscle fiber to be stretched or extended beyond its resting length.
Extensibility
Muscle action or movement that is not consciously controlled (e.g., heart beating, digestion).
Involuntary
Rotation of the forearm so the palm faces posteriorly (backward) or downward.
Pronation
Involuntary, non-striated muscle tissue found in the walls of internal organs and blood vessels (e.g., digestive tract, bladder).
Visceral Muscle