The Muscular System and Antagonistic Pairs Flashcards

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What type of muscle moves your skeleton at joints?

Skeletal (voluntary) muscle.

What do tendons do?

They attach muscle to bone and pull the bone to cause movement.

What is an antagonistic pair of muscles?

Two muscles that work opposite each other: one contracts, the other relaxes.

What does the term agonist (prime mover) mean?

The muscle that contracts to cause the movement.

What does the term antagonist mean?

The muscle that opposes the agonist by relaxing to allow movement.

What is a fixator muscle?

A muscle that stabilises a joint so other muscles can move the limb.

During elbow flexion and extension, which muscles are the agonist and antagonist?

Flexion: biceps agonist, triceps antagonist. Extension: triceps agonist, biceps antagonist.

At the knee, which muscles cause flexion and extension?

Flexion: hamstrings agonist, quadriceps antagonist. Extension: quadriceps agonist, hamstrings antagonist.

At the ankle, which muscles cause plantar flexion and dorsiflexion?

Plantar flexion: gastrocnemius agonist, tibialis anterior antagonist. Dorsiflexion: tibialis anterior agonist, gastrocnemius antagonist.

At the hip, which muscles cause flexion and extension?

Flexion: hip flexors agonist, gluteals antagonist. Extension: gluteals agonist, hip flexors antagonist.

Why must muscles work in pairs to move a joint?

Muscles can only pull, not push, so one pulls one way and its partner controls the opposite movement.