autostretching0242

MUSCLES AND JOINTS - HOW THEY’RE MADĘ AND HOW THEY WORK

To help you understand why you should stretch, you should know a few things about the way the body is constructed. Here we give a short description of the parts that power movements.

In your body you have about 200 bones. They meet at sotne 180 joints. At least 430 muscles help you move in various ways.

A joint consists of two bonę ends covered in cartilage, a softer and smoother tissue which lets surfaces glide easily against each other. The joint is surrounded by capsules and ligaments. These keep the bonę ends together and contain various sensory elements. The sensors report every movement to the brain by sending signals through fine nerve fi bers, so that the brain is always kept informed about the movements and position of each joint ( Fig 1).

The muscles consist of tiny threadlike cells called muscle fi bers. The fibers contain elements that can contract them - myofibrils. The fibers lie parallel, in bundles which give the muscle its shape. Muscles are incased in connective tissue (Fig 2).

Connective tissue

Muscle bundle /

Muscle fibers

Myofibril

Connective tissue

Fig 2.

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