MOTOR APPARATUS

The movement we make daily, whether it is

voluntary or not, depends on muscles, tendons,
bones, nerves, etc., that make up various
systems of our body. One of these
The system is called the locomotor apparatus.

What is the locomotor system?

The locomotor apparatus, also known as
musculoskeletal system, is composed of
bones, muscles, joints, tendons and
ligaments. These structures work in
set so that our body can
stand up and make your movements in
coordination with the nervous system, which is responsible for producing and sending the
motor commands.

Characteristics of the locomotor apparatus

The locomotor system is of utmost importance for humans because thanks to the
bones, muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments that make up beings
Humans can move. The locomotor system is characterized by:

be the result of the union of two sets such as the osteoarticular and the
muscular.
To provide strength and endurance to the body.
To facilitate movement and protect the organs.
to respond to the information transmitted by the nervous system mainly the
Peripheral.
Relying on the peripheral nervous system for its movement, which makes it
in a voluntary system. That is to say, the nervous system controls movement
locomotor. Present involuntary movements, that is, not controlled by the
peripheral nervous system. Such is the case of Parkinson's disease.
 The upright posture turned us into human beings.

For
What is the function of the locomotor system?

The musculoskeletal system is fundamental for all animals and

especially for human beings. If we did not exist, our life would be similar to that of
the trees.
Some of the functions of the locomotor system are:
Keep the body upright and in the correct position, this helps to take care of
the health of the organs.
To make movement possible. The bones are a kind of mechanical base for the
movement, because they are the organs where the muscles that are attached to them
They are the ones who leverage the movement.
allow people to move independently through places
pleasant things that make life more enjoyable.

What are the parts of the locomotor system?

The device locomotor
also known as system
skeletal muscle, is
formed by:
The bones, the cartilages,
the joints and the
ligaments what
they make up the system
osseous.
The muscles and tendons
that form the system
muscular.

Parts of the locomotor system

The skeletal system

The skeletal system is the solid framework formed by all the bones we have and that
provides support to the muscles and other soft tissues of our body. The skeleton
Human is the main structure of the skeletal system.

How is the system formed?

osseous
El esqueleto humano, que es la
main structure of the skeletal system,
It is made up of 206 bones: 26 in the skull, 41 in the face, 27 in the hands and 26 in
the feet.

How are bones formed?

The bones of the human skeleton are mainly formed by a structure
of collagen and calcium phosphate, which is a mineral that gives hardness and durability to
each of these organs.
Bones have two types of tissue, called bone tissue:
Compact tissue, which is the outer part, harder and more resistant of the bone.
Spongy tissue, which is located inside the compact bone and is composed
through the called bony trabeculae, which form a porous network within which is
find the bone marrow.

Compact and spongy bone (tubular bone)

Types of bones in the human skeleton

The human skeleton has 5 types of bones with different functions, they are: (1)
Huesos planos, (2) Huesos largos, (3) Huesos cortos, (4) Huesos irregulares y (5) Huesos
sesamoides.
The names of these bones are given by their shape rather than their size. For
For example, flat bones are thin, flattened, and sometimes curved. While
that long bones receive this name more for their shape than for their size
cylindrical, that is to say, they are longer than wide. Likewise, the sesamoid bones
They are called this because they resemble a sesame seed.
Some examples of these bones are:
 1. Flat bones

2. Long bones

3. Short bones

4. Bones irregular
The muscular system
The muscular system is what largely defines the shape of our body, as
is composed of the fibers and muscle tissues that make up the 650 muscles of the
human body.
Our muscular system is extensive because the muscles that make it up cover
the entire human skeleton, and it is covered by skin. In fact, it is so large that
When we are adults, it makes up 40% of our weight.
 Muscles allow us to move and maintain positions.

Muscles and tendons

Muscles are organs formed by muscle tissue capable of contracting and
relax.
They are surrounded by a structure of connective tissue that serves to envelop them and
separating them from the neighboring muscles, the fascia, a whitish structure that
It resembles a gelatinous fabric.

The muscles that are located over the skeleton attach to the bones through
tendons.
We can distinguish muscle types according to the type of mobility they present:
The skeletons, which exhibit voluntary mobility, and that are attached to the bones.
through tendons. They are the ones we will address in this section.
The visceral muscles, which have involuntary movement. They are present in various
organs such as the heart, intestines, uterus, and blood vessels.
Classification of muscles according to their shape
Muscles take on various shapes. They can be distinguished:

Long: they are thin at their ends and wide in the middle. They are located nearby.
from the long bones of the upper limbs (biceps brachii muscle,
triceps brachii) and the lower ones (quadriceps femoris muscle).
Wide and flat: located in the chest and abdomen, they protect the organs from
These cavities are flat and triangular, square or
linear. Examples include the pectoral muscles, the intercostal muscles, the rectus
abdominal and the diaphragm, among others.
Short muscles: they are located on short bones and generate powerful movements.
short muscles are in the palm of the hand, in the sole of the feet, in the
vertebral canals, in the jaw, etc.
Circles (sphincters): they have the peculiarity of contracting and relaxing to
permitr o impedir el paso de sustancias. Se ubican dentro de los conductos de los
digestive, excretory, reproductive systems and in the blood capillaries.
Orbicular: they are round muscles with an opening in the central part that closes.
when the muscle contracts. Examples are the orbicular muscles of the
eyelids and lips.

Muscle fibers
The muscle cell is called a muscle fiber. They are cylindrical and elongated cells.
Inside it contains different organelles and numerous mitochondria, glycogen,
fatty acids, amino acids, enzymes, and minerals.
Muscle fibers are traversed along their entire length by myofibrils.
Structures located in the sarcoplasm responsible for contraction and relaxation.
of the muscle. There are thousands of myofibrils in each muscle fiber.
At the same time, each myofibril is formed by pairs of myofilaments. One of them is
thick and is called myosin. The other is thinner and is named actin. Both
Myosin, like actin, are proteins. The myofilaments allow for contraction.
muscle in response to electrical or chemical stimuli. Each myofibril contains hundreds of
myofilaments.
The arrangement of myofilaments in the myofibril leads to structures that...
repeating denominated sarcomeres.
Tendons
They are connective tissue fibers, whitish in color, that connect muscles.
esquelétcos
to the bones.

According to the muscle that inserts,

Tendons take on different sizes, long, short or small.
When the muscle contracts, the tendon transmits that force for it to occur.
movement. Tendons are very strong structures and have no capacity to
to contract.

Muscles of the human body in the head and neck

Despite being somewhat overlooked, some of the muscles in the human body are the most
important ones are in the head and neck. Some of them are:
Masseters: these muscles are in the cheeks, and they are the muscles we use to
the mastication of food.
Orbicular of the lips: these muscles are around the mouth and allow the
movement of the lips when we speak. Thanks to them we open and close the
mouth, but we also talk and generate facial expressions.
Orbicularis of the eyelids: they are located in the eyes and are responsible for opening and
close the eyelids.
Sternocleidomastoid: these neck muscles allow the head to move towards
the sides and forward.
Splenius: this is the main muscle responsible for moving the head backward.
Buccinators: they are located at the end of the corner of the mouth and allow for blowing, whistling,
mastcar, etc.
Other main muscles of the head are: the frontal muscle (allows raising the
eyebrows and frown lines), nasal muscles (which allow the nose to move slightly,
like when we wrinkle our nose), risorius muscles (which stretch the lips), etc.
Main muscles of the trunk
Inside the trunk, we can find several main muscles of the human body.
such as:
Intercostals: as their name indicates, the intercostals are muscles that
they are found between the ribs and intervene in breathing.
Diaphragm: it is a unique muscle, located between the abdomen and the thorax, and it plays a role in
breathing, allowing the swelling and deflation of the lungs.
Pectorals: they are located at the front of the torso and allow for movement.
arms.
Rectus abdominis: they are in the midline of the torso and allow for flexion.
of the trunk.
Trapezius: behind the trunk, they lift the shoulder and keep the head in
vertical position.
Dorsals: allow the arm to move backwards.

Main muscles in the arm and hand

In the upper extremities, the arms and hands, we can find a lot of
variety of muscles. Some are:
Deltoids: these muscles form the shoulder and therefore are responsible for lifting the
arm and move it back and forth.
Brachial biceps: flexes the forearm over the arm and allows these two parts
have separate mobility.
Brachial triceps: extends the forearm, separating it from the trunk.
Pronation and supination: they rotate the wrist and hand relative to the forearm.
Flexor and extensor muscles of the fingers.

Main muscles of the leg and the foot

Numerous major muscles of the human body are located in the portion
lower part of our body, in the legs and feet. Just like the arms and hands,
The legs have a great capacity for movement, much more than the head and torso.
In addition, they are responsible for moving the human body, so most of
people have more developed leg muscles than those in the upper body
superior of his body.
Some important muscles of the human body located in the lower limb
son
Glutes: they form the buttocks and their function is to maintain the upright position of the body.
Sartorius: this muscle allows us to cross our legs in a complex movement in the
which should flex at the hip and move the femur outward, as well as rotate the
femoral head outward.
Crural biceps: it is located behind the leg and is responsible for flexing the leg.
knee.
Thigh quadriceps: unlike the previous one, it is in front of the leg and its function
to extend it.
Calves: they form the calf and are used for walking.
Flexors and extensors of the toes.
Schematic of the locomotor system:
The locomotor system is formed, as we mentioned earlier, by the system
osseous-articular and the muscular system. The following scheme summarizes their
components:

Relationship between the locomotor system and the nervous system

As we saw earlier, the movements of our body occur thanks to the
contraction and relaxation of the muscles. Now, this contraction takes place
thanks to the nerve impulses sent by the thousands of nerve fibers that
they make up the nervous system to our muscles.
But what is the nervous system? How is it composed?
The nervous system is a complex network of
nerves and cells that carry messages from the
brain and toward the brain, including the spinal cord
spinal, and towards and from various parts of the body.
The nervous system captures and processes stimuli.
internals and externals that regulate both the
movement like the functioning of the
organism.
The nervous system is divided into:
The Central Nervous System (CNS), composed of the brain, the cerebellum, the bulb
spinal and the spinal cord.
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), composed of neurons and nerves that are
extended throughout the body whose function is to connect the organs and muscles with the
Central Nervous System (CNS).
The Peripheral Nervous System is responsible for the impulses originating in the System
Central nervous system reaches every organ, including the muscles, which is why it is so
important for the movement of our body.

Types of nerves and their function in movement

The Peripheral Nervous System is made up of nerves, which can be seen as
very thin cords that contain nervous substance and that branch out everywhere
the organs and muscles of our body.
We can classify nerves into sensory nerves, motor nerves, and mixed nerves.
The sensory nerves are responsible for transmitting to the brain and spinal cord the
information about sensory organs, such as pain, temperature, position, etc.
Motor nerves are responsible for all voluntary movement.
skeleton and soft tissue of our body. They carry information from the CNS
up to the muscles to produce movement.
Finally, mixed nerves are both sensory and motor because they contain axons.
of both.
Let's look at an example of how the Nervous System works for movement.
volunteer
Let's say you see a beautiful flower and want to pick it. This is what happens:

In this case, the sensory nerves are on the flower, you decide to take it, your brain gives
the order to the muscle is transmitted by the motor nerves of the PNS.
Let's look at an example of how the Nervous System works for movement.
involuntary.
Imagine that the thorns of the flower have pricked you while taking it. This is what happens:

The sensory nerve of the hand receives the stimulus (pain), it travels to the spinal cord, and
there the reflex originates (which is an immediate response) for you to let it go and move away
of pain, so the muscles contract, thanks to the motor nerves, to
retract the arm.

Cuáles son las enfermedades del sistema locomotor

Diseases of the locomotor system tend to be chronic, in some cases.
they cause disability, pain, functional impotence, degeneration of the organs and
affects the mobility of people.

Some of the most common diseases of the locomotor system are osteoarthritis,
arthritis, osteoporosis, soft tissue rheumatism (tendinitis and bursitis) and
fibromyalgia.
Soft tissue rheumatism (tendinitis and bursitis): Bursitis and tendinitis are two
of the most common disorders of the so-called rheumatic syndromes of the
soft tissues. Pathologies cause pain and inflammation in the tendons,
ligaments, bursa (small sacs filled with fluid that reduce friction between the
mobile parts of the joints). Historically, the most affected areas are the
feet, the knees, the shoulders, the wrists, the fingers, the back, the ankles, and the
elbows.
Osteoarthritis: it is a degenerative process that affects the cartilage that is between the
joints and it prevents rubbing. The cartilage wears down over time.
until it disappears, causing the friction to occur directly between the bones,
generating a lot of pain and loss of movement in the joints.

Arthritis is the inflammation o

degeneration of one or more joints. This pathology generally begins
attacking the smaller joints, especially those that connect the fingers
from the hands.

Fibromyalgia: it is a chronic disease characterized by producing pain in the

length of the locomotor apparatus. In addition, it can cause sleep interruption, fatigue
generalized and decreased movement.
Osteoporosis: it is a process characterized by the loss of bone density.
bones, which weakens and thins the bones. People who suffer from this condition
are more prone to fracturing the hip, wrists, pelvis, and back.
How to take care of the locomotor system
The locomotor system is essential for humans because it allows for the
movement, for this reason it is so important to take care of it. Next, we give you
some recommendations to maintain the musculoskeletal system in
optimal conditions.
Doing about 45 minutes of physical exercise daily is essential to strengthen the
muscles and prevent them from getting injured or atrophying due to lack of work. Walking, jogging, doing
Squats or practicing different routines with weights helps to strengthen the body. The
Inactivity or sedentarism are not good options for the health of the body.
locomotor.

Another very important aspect to keep this system in good condition is to adopt
the correct posture when sitting, walking, and sleeping. This way we will avoid that the
the spine and the back muscles suffer more than necessary when carrying the weight
of the body.
 Correct posture when sitting in front of the computer

A bad posture can cause pain and even injuries in the back, that's why
It is important for children and adolescents to adopt good postures from the beginning.
moment, so as to avoid ailments in the future.
A healthy and balanced diet is essential for the entire body, including the...
musculoskeletal system. Consume foods rich in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and protein.
it promotes ossification and strengthens the muscles.