Introduction

Every movement you see on a sports field - a sprinter driving out of the blocks, a bowler whirling an arm over, a footballer bending a knee to strike the ball - is the visible result of the body's systems working together. Before a student of physical education can train those systems safely and well, they must first understand how the body is built and how it works. That is the aim of this unit of the CBSE Class 11 Physical Education course: to lay the anatomical and physiological foundation on which every later idea about fitness, training and performance rests.

Anatomy and physiology

Anatomy is the study of the structure of the body - the parts it is made of, their shape and the way they are arranged. Physiology is the study of how those parts function - how they work, singly and together, to keep the body alive and moving. The two are inseparable: structure makes function possible, and understanding function explains why a part is shaped the way it is.

What this unit covers

The Content page of the handbook lists five topics, and this unit follows them in order:

1. Definition and importance of anatomy and physiology in exercise and sports.
2. Functions of the skeletal system, classification of bones and types of joints.
3. Properties and functions of muscles.
4. Structure and functions of the circulatory system and the heart.
5. Structure and functions of the respiratory system.

Each topic is developed in its own section that follows. This introduction only sets out the map of the unit - the individual systems are taught in full later.