Muscle movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Muscle movement - Essay Example ment to the muscles and many sets of muscles in the body work together in conjunction with each other in the form of various types of levers to bring about movement as a whole process. The typical skeletal muscle consists of three parts: It’s origin from a bone where it is attached to a large area, its main body of muscular tissue and the insertion at the other end which is in the form of a glistening white tendon. The body of the muscle is made up of hundreds of cylindrical fibers which usually run all the way from the origin to the insertion. These cylindrical fibers are composed of an array of myofibrils which are a specialized category of animal cells. Each muscle fiber develops from the fusion of many cells called myoblasts. Muscles contract by the action of Acetyl choline, a neurotransmitter secreted through the nerves which brings about a change in the action potential at the neuromuscular synapse leading to binding of actin and myosin molecules and bringing about contraction. Antagonistic Muscles: For every group of muscles that move a specific portion of the body, there is an opposite group of muscles which brings about the opposite movement. Such pairs of muscles are called antagonistic muscles. The main pairs of antagonistic muscles and their respective movements are explained below: 1. Biceps-Triceps: The upper end of the biceps or its origin is at the scapula and its other end or insertion is on the radius bone of the forearm. Contraction of biceps brings about flexion or rising of the forearm and is called a flexor muscle. The antagonistic triceps relaxes at this time. The triceps is located behind the upper arm and its origin is at the scapula as well as the Humerus bone in the upper arm and the point of insertion is at the Olecranon process of the ulna. Its contraction brings about straightening of the arm and hence it is known as an extensor muscle. 2. Anterior tibialis and gastrocnemius muscles: This pair is located in the lower leg. When a