Types Of Movement In Human Body: Meaning: Concepts, Types

Why Is Movement Necessary?

Movement is an essential property of all living organisms; it enables survival, interaction, and functioning. Biologically, movement can be described as the process whereby any part of the body, or the whole body, changes position, influenced by powerful muscle contractions through the action of the nervous system.

Latest: NEET 2024 Paper Analysis and Answer Key 

Don't Miss: Most scoring concepts for NEET | NEET papers with solutions

New: NEET Syllabus 2025 for Physics, Chemistry, Biology

NEET Important PYQ & Solutions: Physics | Chemistry | Biology

This Story also Contains

1. Why Is Movement Necessary?
2. Types Of Movements
3. Skeletal Muscle Movements
4. Smooth Muscle Movements
5. Cardiac Muscle Movements
6. Mechanism Of Heartbeat
7. Movements At Joints
8. Nervous System Control Of Movement
9. Disorders Affecting Movement
10. Recommended Video On 'Types Of Movement In Human Body'

Types Of Movements

Movements are mainly divided into two categories:

Voluntary Movements

• Controlled consciously

• Examples: Walking, writing

Involuntary Movements

• Occurs without conscious control

• Examples: Heartbeat, digestive tract peristalsis

Skeletal Muscle Movements

Skeletal muscles attach to bones and move the body parts by contracting. They accomplish a wide variety of motions.

Flexion And Extension

• Flexion reduces the angle between two body parts while extension increases it.

• Examples: Biceps curl (flexion), triceps extension (extension)

Abduction And Adduction

• Abduction is the movement of a limb away from the body's midline, while adduction brings the limb toward the midline.

• Examples: Raising your arm out to the side abducts; lowering your arm to your side adducts.

Rotation And Circumduction

• Rotation refers to turning around an axis and circumduction refers to the circular movement of a limb.

• Examples: You rotate your head from side to side while arm circles refer to circumduction.

Pronation And Supination

• Pronation is the rotation of the forearm inward; supination refers to the outward turn.

• Examples: Forearm movement (pronation and supination)

Smooth Muscle Movements

The smooth muscles, located in the walls of internal organs, produce involuntary movements to maintain the autonomic functions of the body.

Peristalsis

• The contraction occurs in rhythmic waves that propel the bolus forward along the digestive tract

Vasoconstriction And Vasodilation

• Vasoconstriction reduces the diameter of blood vessels, increasing blood pressure.

• The diameter of blood vessels is increased in vasodilatation, resulting in a fall in blood pressure.

Cardiac Muscle Movements

Cardiac muscles are involuntary muscles of the heart that contract rhythmically to maintain blood flow throughout the body.

Mechanism Of Heartbeat

It is the alternating contraction, or systole, and relaxation, or diastole, of the chambers of the heart and keeps blood flowing in the body.

Movements At Joints

Joints are joining points for bones that form articulations moving in different ways styled by their construction and situating

Ball And Socket Joint

• It allows the rotational movement that occurs in the shoulder and hip joints.

Hinge Joint

• Allows the movement involving one plane; under the elbow and knee joints.

Pivot Joint

• Allows rotational movement around a single axis. The atlantoaxial joint that occurs in the neck.

Gliding Joint

• Allows bones to slide past one another; found in wrist and ankle joints.

Saddle Joint

• Allows for angular movements similar to a hinge, but with more extremes; found in the thumb joint (carpometacarpal joint).

Diagram: Types Of Joints

Nervous System Control Of Movement

The nervous system provides control of muscle movements through the transmission of signals between the brain, spinal cord and muscles.

Role Of The Central And Peripheral Nervous Systems

Information is processed by the central nervous system and the signal is passed on through the peripheral nervous system to muscles to move.

Disorders Affecting Movement

Many types of disorders can affect movement, thus decreasing quality of life.

• Parkinson's Disease: The Brain cannot adequately control movement.

• Arthritis: Inflammation of joints, causing pain and stiffness.

• Muscle Dystrophy: A group of diseases causing progressive muscle weakness.

Recommended Video On 'Types Of Movement In Human Body'