The apparatus locomotor o musculoskeletal system is the set of body structures formed by the skeleton, skeletal muscles and accessory structures that allow our body to move.
This device is what allows us to carry out movements and move from one place to another and is composed of two independent systems, but highly related to each other: the bone system (that of the bones) and the muscular system (that of the muscles that associate with bones).
While the bone system has a very important role in the support and structure of our body, the muscular system is more active and is controlled by our nervous system, that is, it only moves when we want it to..
Both systems are made up of living tissues made up of cells, which are constantly dying and replenished throughout our lives and which need oxygen and nutrients to perform their functions..
The skeletal system is made up of more than 200 bones, meanwhile the muscular system is made up of more than 600 muscles.
Movement is one of the main functions that the locomotor system provides to the human body, and it is crucial to favor our interaction with the environment that surrounds us..
Being able to move from one place to another has been fundamental both for human beings and for other animals, vertebrates or invertebrates, since throughout history this has allowed us to go out in search of water, food, shelter , nest and couple.
It has also favored us during the flight of a predator, the hunt for some prey and the collection of fruits and vegetables, among many other things..
Today we must thank our locomotor system for allowing us, in addition, to exercise, dance, smile, sing, chew, jump, go to school or work, ski, skate, ride a bicycle, run, walk, play an instrument, cook , sew, knit, etc.
It is important to mention that the functions of the locomotor system result from the sum of the functions of the parts that compose it, that is, from the joint functions of the skeletal system and the muscular system..
Without the bones, the muscles would have nowhere to anchor and without the muscles, the bones would have no way to move against gravity; without the brain, in addition, no movement would be possible.
Bones and muscles perform other functions in addition to those just mentioned:
The locomotor system is composed of elements belonging to two systems that, although defined separately, are closely related to each other: the skeletal system and the muscular system, specifically the portion corresponding to skeletal muscles (associated with bones).
The skeletal system the body system made up of all bones, joints, cartilage, and connective tissue fibers.
- The bones They are very hard and rigid structures, capable of supporting the body and protecting the most important organs. Without the bones, our body would have rather a consistency and a jelly-like appearance.
- The joints They are the places where two or more bones come into contact with each other (they join) and they are the ones that allow the skeleton to move and keep everything together.
- The cartilage they are softer and more flexible than bones and are part of some joints, the nose and ears.
- The ligaments they are the very resistant connective tissue fibers composed of collagen that hold the joints to the bones and prevent them from moving over them.
Although it is only one, the bone system is classified as the set formed by two skeletons: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton..
It is the part of the skeletal system that is comprised of the bones of the head, chest and spine, where they exercise essentially protective functions for the organs contained there (the spine also plays an important role in maintaining posture)..
Although this part of the skeleton provides a holding surface for which we will explain shortly, it is not exactly the one that participates in the locomotor system when we speak strictly of movement and displacement..
This portion of the bone system is actually the one that makes up the structures that help us move all day, whether we are sitting in front of the computer or walking to the park..
The appendicular skeleton comprises the bones that make up our appendages, that is, the arms, hands, legs, and feet. Most of the body's bones are concentrated in this portion of the bone system and, in addition, it also contains the longest and strongest bones in our body.
Muscles are the active components of the musculoskeletal system. They are composed of thousands of elongated and fibrous cells that form a mass, which we can locate between the skin and the bones..
Muscle cells are equipped with a large number of contractile or "elastic" protein fibers, which make it possible to shorten and stretch the muscles, necessary for us to perform movements, move and maintain an upright posture..
Muscles are divided into 2 categories: smooth muscles and striated muscles; the latter, in turn, are classified as cardiac muscles and skeletal muscles, depending on their function and anatomical location.
While the cardiac and smooth muscles are part of the walls of the heart and of the viscera and hollow organs, respectively, the skeletal muscles, as their name suggests, are those that are associated with the bones of the skeleton and are those that compete with the locomotor apparatus.
On the other hand, both the smooth muscles and the heart muscle are involuntary muscles, which means that they do not contract by conscious orders of our brain, but the skeletal muscles are voluntary, this means that they move only when we want it to happen..
Our body has more than 600 muscles of this type, which vary considerably in shape, size and body location. Generally these muscles move the skeleton in opposite pairs, that is, when one contracts the other relaxes, thus allowing the movement of the limbs..
The bones are joined together thanks to the joints, which are attached to each bone by means of fibers of connective tissue called ligaments. For their part, muscles are elastic and resistant tissues made up of muscle cells equipped with contractile fibers, but how are both systems associated??
Muscles can be attached to the skeletal system through structures known as tendons. A tendon is a structure formed by fibers of connective tissue (mainly collagen) that are found at the ends of the muscles and fulfill the function of holding it or joining it to bone tissue.
In addition to allowing this physical connection, tendons also participate in the transmission of contractile force from the muscle to the bone with which it is connected..
The locomotor system is actively controlled by our central nervous system, specifically by its voluntary division..
Our brain uses information from some of our senses such as eyes, ears and touch to "understand" what we want or must move some part of our body or that we must move from one place to another depending on the signals we receive from the environment.
Brain orders travel from the brain to the muscles through neurons in the form of electrical impulses (nerve impulses).
These electrical impulses are transmitted to the muscle cells in the form of chemical messengers that tell the contractile filaments to move over each other to shorten the muscle or to relax it..
When a muscle contracts it allows the displacement of one bone over another and, therefore, the movement of an arm or a leg, for example, or of the jaw.
The most common problems related to the musculoskeletal system are:
- Arthritis, resulting from inflammation of the joints, for example.
- Osteoporosis, due to the loss of calcium from the bones and, therefore, its weakening and the poor ability of the body to regenerate bone tissue. People who suffer from this condition tend to have very weak bones and more prone to fractures.
- Muscle pains, due to compressions, bad posture and bad movements; back pain and neck pain are very common, especially for people who get little rest and are constantly stressed.
- Defects and conditions related to overuse, common for many athletes who do not let their muscles rest enough or for those people who work daily with physical strength and who do not eat properly, who do not drink enough water and who do not rest properly.
- Inflammatory diseases, infectious, parasitic, viral, cancers, among other.
- Fractures and bumps.
- Tendinitis, sprains, kinks, etc.
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