Ch. 7.5 Muscular System key Terms
What is abduction
Moving a body part away from the midline
What is contracture
A severe tightening of a flexor muscle resulting in bending of a joint.
What is extension
Increasing the angle between two bones, or straightening a body part
What is muscle tone
This state of partial contraction is called muscle tone and is sometimes described as a state of readiness to act.
What is rotation
Rotation, turning a body part around its own axis; for example, turning the head from side to side.
What is adduction
Moving a body part toward the midline
What is dorsiflexion
Bending backward or bending the foot toward the knee
What is fascia
A tough, sheetlike membrane that covers and protects the tissue.
What is muscular system
More than 600 muscles make up the system known as the muscular system.
What is skeletal muscle
Skeletal muscle is attached to bones and causes body movement
What is cardiac muscle
Cardiac muscle forms the walls of the heart and contracts to circulate blood.
What is elasticity
Allows the muscle to return to its original shape after it has contracted or stretched
What is flexion
Decreasing the angle between two bones, or bending a body part
What is origin
The end that does not move is called the origin
What is supination
Turning a body part upward
What is circumduction
Moving in a circle at a joint, or moving one end of a body part in a circle while the other end remains stationary.
What is excitability
Irritability, the ability to respond to a stimulus such as a nerve impulse
What is insertion
The end that moves when the muscle contracts
What is plantar flexion
Bending forward or bending the foot away from the knee
What is tendons
Tendons, which are strong, tough, fibrous connective-tissue cords.
What is contractibility
Muscle fibers that are stimulated by nerves contract, or become short and thick, which causes movement.
What is extensibility
The ability to be stretched
What is involuntary
Involuntary, meaning they function without conscious thought or control.
What is pronation
Turning a body part downward
What is visceral muscle
Visceral muscle, also called smooth muscle, is found in the internal organs of the body, such as those of the digestive and respiratory systems, and the blood vessels and eyes. Visceral muscle contracts to cause movement in these organs.