Biology · Class 11 Science
Ch 16Skeleton and Movement — Class 11 Biology, concept-first.
Movements may be internal (e.g. protoplasmic streaming, peristalsis, heartbeat) or external (e.g. limb movement), and they may be voluntary or involuntary. Three types of muscle tissue bring about movements in humans:
Key concepts
Hover a concept to preview it and jump to its most relevant Q&A.
Sliding Filament Theory
Muscle contraction occurs by thin filaments sliding over thick filaments, shortening the sarcomere.
Most relevant Q&A
- The functional unit of striated muscle is .............. (a) cross bridges (b) myofibril (c) sarcomere (d) z-bandFree
- How is the structure of the sarcomere suitable for the contractility of the muscle? Explain its function according to the sliding filament t…Preview
- How does the structure of actin and myosin help in muscle contraction?Preview
- Write a short note on: Actin filament.Preview
- Write a short note on: Myosin filament.Preview
Chapter contents
The NCERT structure, section by section. Open a section to see its questions, then read the concept-first solution.
Movements and Locomotion
Movements may be internal (e.g. protoplasmic streaming, peristalsis, heartbeat) or external (e.g. limb movement), and they may be voluntary or involuntary.
Location and Structure of Skeletal Muscles
The muscle that moves a particular bone is usually not located on that same bone but on the bone lying just proximal to it — for example, the biceps and triceps that move the forearm are located in th…
Working of Skeletal Muscles
Muscles generally work in pairs that produce opposite actions — for example, the biceps (a flexor) folds (flexes) the elbow while the triceps (an extensor) straightens (extends) it.
Structure of Myosin and Actin Filaments
The contractile unit of a skeletal muscle fibre is the sarcomere, built from two kinds of contractile protein filament — myosin (thick) and actin (thin).
Mechanism of Muscle Contraction
The sliding filament theory, proposed by H.E. Huxley and A.F. Huxley, is also known as the walk-along theory or ratchet theory.
Physiology of Muscle Relaxation
In the resting (relaxed) muscle, the active (myosin-binding) sites on actin remain covered by the troponin-tropomyosin complex, so myosin cannot interact with actin and contraction cannot occur.
Relaxation of Muscle Fibres
During relaxation, the events of contraction occur in reverse. Once nerve stimulation is terminated, the actomyosin complex is broken down and the myosin head detaches from the actin filament — a proc…
Properties of Muscles on Electrical Stimulation
When a skeletal muscle is stimulated electrically, it displays several characteristic properties:
Lever Systems in the Body
The combination of a bone, a joint and the muscle acting on it can be compared with a simple lever: the joint acts as the fulcrum, while the muscle generates the effort needed to move the bone (the lo…
Skeletal System
Multicellular animals need some form of support to maintain their body structure. Various groups of organisms show supportive skeletal structures either outside the body, inside the body, or both.
Axial Skeleton
The axial skeleton comprises the bones lying along the body's central longitudinal axis: the skull, the vertebral column, and the thoracic cage (sternum and ribs).
Skull and Cranium
The skull is located at the superior end of the vertebral column and is made up of 22 bones in two main sets: the cranium (brain box) and the facial bones.
Facial Bones, Hyoid and Ear Ossicles
Facial bones: Fourteen facial bones give the face its characteristic shape; growth of the face is complete by about the age of 16. They are:
Vertebral Column
The human backbone, or vertebral column, is a chain of irregular bones called vertebrae. It consists of 33 vertebrae in childhood; in the adult, five sacral vertebrae fuse to form one sacrum, and four…
Thoracic Cage
The thoracic cage consists of the twelve thoracic vertebrae (already described), twelve pairs of ribs, and the breastbone, the sternum.
Appendicular Skeleton
The appendicular skeleton consists of the bones of the limbs and the girdles that attach them to the axial skeleton — the pectoral (shoulder) girdle with the forelimb, and the pelvic (hip) girdle with…
Pectoral Girdle and Bones of the Forelimb
The pectoral girdle (shoulder girdle) attaches the forelimb skeleton to the axial skeleton. There are two pectoral girdles, each made up of a shoulder blade (scapula) and a collar bone (clavicle).
Pelvic Girdle and Bones of the Lower Limb
The pelvic girdle (hip girdle) connects the hind-limb skeleton to the axial skeleton. It is made up of two hip bones, called coxal bones, which unite posteriorly with the sacrum.
Types of Joints
A point where two or more bones get articulated is called a joint, articulation, or arthrosis; the study of joints is called arthrology.
Disorders Related to Muscles
Muscular dystrophy is a gradual, wasting disease affecting various groups of muscles; these conditions are genetically inherited in families.
Disorders Related to Bones
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints — a painful disorder of bones, ligaments, tendons, etc., in which the joints become swollen, stiff and painful, and which can lead to disability.
+−Exercise24 questions
- Q1The functional unit of striated muscle is .............. (a) cross bridges (b) myofibril (c) sarcomere (d) z-bandFree
- Q2A person slips from the staircase and breaks his ankle bone. Which bones are involved? (a) Carpals (b) Tarsal (c) Metacarpals (d) Metatarsal…Free
- Q3Muscle fatigue is due to accumulation of ........ (a) pyruvic acid (b) lactic acid (c) malic acid (d) succinic acidFree
- Q4Which one of the following is NOT an antagonistic muscle pair? (a) Flexor-extensor (b) Adductor-abductor (c) Levator-depressor (d) Sphincter…Preview
- Q5Swelling of a sprained foot is reduced by soaking it in hot water containing a large amount of common salt, (a) due to osmosis (b) due to pl…Preview
- Q6Role of calcium in muscle contraction is .......... (a) to break the cross bridges as a cofactor in the hydrolysis of ATP (b) to bind with t…Preview
- Q7Hyper-secretion of parathormone can cause which of the following disorders? (a) Gout (b) Rheumatoid arthritis (c) Osteoporosis (d) Gull's di…Preview
- Q8Select the correct option showing the two nasal bones, from the four diagrams given.Preview
- Q9What kind of contraction occurs in your neck muscles while you are reading your class assignment?Preview
- Q10Observe the diagram given and enlist the importance of 'A', 'B' and 'C'.Preview
- Q11Raju intends to train his biceps; while exercising using dumbbells, which joints should remain stationary and which should move?Preview
- Q12In a road accident, Moses fractured his leg. One of the passers-by tied a wooden plank to the fractured leg while Moses was rushed to the ho…Preview
- Q13Sprain is more painful than fracture. Why?Preview
- Q14Why can a red muscle work for a prolonged period whereas a white muscle fibre suffers from fatigue after a shorter period of work? (Refer to…Preview
- Q15How is the structure of the sarcomere suitable for the contractility of the muscle? Explain its function according to the sliding filament t…Preview
- Q16Ragini, a 50-year-old office goer, suffered hair-line cracks in her right and left foot in short intervals of time. She was worried about mi…Preview
- Q17How does the structure of actin and myosin help in muscle contraction?Preview
- Q18Justify the structure of the atlas and axis vertebrae with respect to their position and function.Preview
- Q19Observe the blood report given below and diagnose the possible disorder. Report D — Examination of Blood: Uric Acid — Result 9.2, Normal val…Preview
- Q20Write a short note on: Actin filament.Preview
- Q21Write a short note on: Myosin filament.Preview
- Q22Write a short note on: Role of calcium ions in the contraction and relaxation of muscles.Preview
- Q23Draw a labelled diagram of a synovial joint.Preview
- Q24Draw labelled diagrams of different cartilaginous joints.Preview