Study materials›Human Anatomy›Skeletal and Muscular Systems
🦴HUMAN ANATOMY STUDY GUIDE

Skeletal and Muscular Systems

Study bone tissue, joints, skeletal muscle contraction, lever action, and major movement terms.

8 key ideas8 flashcards5 practice questions
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EXAM SCOPEOpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, skeletal system, joints, and muscle tissue

This review follows the current course framework.

Checked against OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e ↗
MOVEMENT LEVER

A joint acts as the fulcrum, muscle supplies effort, and the body part carries the load.

joint

fulcrum

muscle and tendon

effort

limb or object

load

SMART NOTES

Key ideas to know

Start with the relationships between ideas. Then close the notes and explain each one from memory.

  1. 01

    Bone matrix contains collagen for tensile strength and mineral salts for compression resistance.

  2. 02

    Osteoblasts build bone matrix, osteoclasts resorb it, and osteocytes maintain it.

  3. 03

    The axial skeleton includes the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage.

  4. 04

    The appendicular skeleton includes girdles and limbs.

  5. 05

    Synovial joints contain a fluid-filled cavity and permit wide movement.

  6. 06

    A motor neuron releases acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction.

  7. 07

    Calcium exposes actin binding sites, allowing myosin cross-bridge cycling.

  8. 08

    A muscle's insertion usually moves toward its origin during contraction.

PART OF THE HUMAN ANATOMY GUIDE

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COMMON MIX-UPS

Two ideas worth correcting now

NOT QUITE

Muscles push bones

→
USE THIS INSTEAD

Muscles create tension by pulling through tendons.

NOT QUITE

Filaments shorten during contraction

→
USE THIS INSTEAD

Filaments slide; the sarcomere shortens.

ACTIVE RECALL

Flashcards

Answer before opening each card. The effort to retrieve is part of the learning.

1What do osteoblasts do?Show answer ＋

Form new bone matrix.

2What do osteoclasts do?Show answer ＋

Resorb bone matrix.

3What is a synovial joint?Show answer ＋

A freely movable joint with a fluid-filled cavity.

4What transmitter is released at the neuromuscular junction?Show answer ＋

Acetylcholine.

5Where is calcium stored in a muscle fiber?Show answer ＋

The sarcoplasmic reticulum.

6What does calcium bind in skeletal muscle?Show answer ＋

Troponin.

7What shortens during contraction?Show answer ＋

The sarcomere; thick and thin filaments slide past one another.

8What is an antagonist muscle?Show answer ＋

A muscle that opposes the action of the prime mover.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Explain it in your own words

Use the answer as a check after you have written or spoken your response.

01Why are bones resistant to both tension and compression?

Collagen resists pulling forces, while mineral crystals resist compression.

02How does a fracture repair?

A hematoma forms, a soft callus and then hard callus bridge the break, and remodeling restores stronger bone.

03How does an action potential cause contraction?

It travels along the sarcolemma and T tubules, causing calcium release that permits actin-myosin cycling.

04Why does ATP matter after myosin binds actin?

ATP binding releases myosin from actin, and ATP breakdown resets the head.

05How does a third-class lever trade force for speed?

Muscle effort lies between the joint and load, allowing fast wide movement but requiring greater effort.

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