The musculoskeletal system — AQA GCSE Physical Education revision

Functions and types of bone

• The skeleton supports the body, protects vital organs (e.g. cranium protects the brain, ribs protect the heart and lungs), allows movement by providing attachment points for muscles, produces blood cells in bone marrow and stores minerals such as calcium.
• Long bones (e.g. femur) act as levers for movement; short bones (e.g. carpals) allow fine, stable movement; flat bones (e.g. scapula, sternum) protect organs and provide muscle attachment; irregular bones (e.g. vertebrae) have complex shapes for protection and support.
• The skeleton is divided into the axial skeleton (skull, ribs, vertebral column) and the appendicular skeleton (limbs, shoulder and pelvic girdles).

Joint types and structures

• Hinge joints (e.g. knee, elbow) allow flexion and extension in one plane, like a door hinge.
• Ball and socket joints (e.g. hip, shoulder) allow movement in all planes: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and rotation.
• Pivot joints (e.g. neck between atlas and axis) allow rotation only.
• Condyloid joints (e.g. wrist) allow flexion, extension, abduction and adduction but not rotation.
• Synovial joint structures: ligaments join bone to bone and stabilise the joint; tendons join muscle to bone and transmit force; cartilage cushions bone ends and reduces friction; synovial fluid lubricates the joint to reduce friction and nourish cartilage.

Key terms

Axial skeleton

The skull, vertebral column and rib cage.

Appendicular skeleton

The limbs and the girdles that attach them to the axial skeleton.

Ligament

Connective tissue joining bone to bone, stabilising a joint.

Tendon

Connective tissue joining muscle to bone, transmitting force to move the bone.

Cartilage

Smooth connective tissue that cushions the ends of bones in a joint.

Synovial fluid

Fluid that lubricates and nourishes a synovial joint.

Common exam traps

• Confusing ligaments (bone to bone) with tendons (muscle to bone) — a common exam mix-up.
• Thinking all synovial joints move the same way — hinge joints are one-plane, ball and socket joints are multi-directional.
• Forgetting that the agonist and antagonist swap roles depending on the direction of movement, e.g. triceps become the agonist during elbow extension.

Practice questions with answers

1. 1. Which bone type acts mainly as a lever for large, powerful movements?

   • • Short bones
   • • Long bones
   • • Flat bones
   • • Irregular bones

   Answer: Long bones

   Long bones like the femur act as levers, allowing large ranges of movement.

2. 2. Which joint type is the knee?

   • • Ball and socket
   • • Pivot
   • • Hinge
   • • Condyloid

   Answer: Hinge

   The knee is a hinge joint, allowing flexion and extension in one plane.

3. 3. Which joint allows rotation only?

   • • Hinge
   • • Pivot
   • • Ball and socket
   • • Condyloid

   Answer: Pivot

   A pivot joint, such as at the top of the neck, allows rotational movement only.

4. 4. Name the structure that joins muscle to bone.

   Answer: Tendon

   Tendons attach muscle to bone and transmit the force of contraction to move the bone.

5. 5. Name the structure that joins bone to bone.

   Answer: Ligament

   Ligaments connect bones together and add stability to a joint.

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