Joints GCSE revision guide

A joint is….........

‘Where two bones meet’

Allow movement

Attach muscles

Allow muscular contraction to cause movement.

There are 3 classifications of

joints:

Fixed or immoveable

joints eg cranium

Slightly moveable joints

eg vertebrae

Freely moveable or

‘synovial joints’ eg knee,

elbow, shoulder

There are 3 classifications.

They are classified by their structure and the way

they allow movement:

1) Ball and socket joint

2) Hinge joint

3) Pivot joint

The most moveable joints in the body. Allow

movement in all directions e.g. the shoulder and

the hip.

Work like a hinge on a door and can bend to allow

movement in two directions only eg the knee, the

elbow.

Only allows rotation and is found at the top of the

vertebrae (your neck)

Ball and Socket

Lifting front leg to clear a hurdle.

Doing straddle jump.

Butterfly arm movement.

Front crawl.

Back kick in karate.

Bowling action in cricket.

Hinge

Legs bending during a squat.

As you kick a football.

Bending arm when doing bicep curls.

Pivot

In netball turning head to look for ball.

Turning head to look for the ball when batting in

rounders.

1)Extension. Straightening or extending a limb (the

angle of the joint increases) eg the arm extending

at the elbow and moving to 180 degrees.

2)Flexion. Bending or flexing a limb (the angle of

the joint decreases) eg flexing the elbow and

moving the angle to 90 degrees.

1)Abduction. Moving a limb away from the centre

line of the body (an alien would ‘take somebody

away’ when they abduct a person) eg the arm can

be moved away from the centre line of the body at

the shoulder.

2)Adduction. Moving a limb towards the centre line

of the body (you are ‘adding’ the limb to the body)

eg arm moved towards centre line of body at the

shoulder.

Rotation. This is a turning or rotational movement

of a limb or body part eg the arms can rotate at

the shoulder.

Now for a quiz! 1. The synovial hip joint is an example of a:

hinge joint

pivot joint

ball and socket joint

2. Synovial fluid:

strengthens the joint

lubricates the joint

aids tendons

3. Which movement allows only extension and flexion?

Hinge

Ball and socket

Pivot

4. Which is not a freely moveable joint?

Ball and socket

Cranium

Pivot

5. Write down the three functions of a joint

6. Where would you find a slightly moveable joint?

Vertebrae

Knee

Ankle

Ball and socket joint

Extension, flexion, abduction, adduction, rotation.

Hinge joint

Extension, flexion.

Pivot joint

Rotation

ANSWERS

1. Ball and socket joint

2. Lubricates the joint

3. Hinge joint

4. Cranium

5. Allows movement, attaches muscle and allows muscular

contraction to cause movement

6. Vertebrae

GOOD LUCK!