Body & Senses
How do my arms and legs move?
A little Wusel dance introduces the helpers behind movement.
The short answer
Muscles contract and pull on bones through tendons. Movable joints let bones change position. Muscles cooperate; a muscle does not push a bone like a rigid rod.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
In the meadow, Flauschi invents a dance with a little step and a waving paw. Puschel tries it very slowly.
Puschel“My paw is waving, but I cannot see a motor!”
Flauschi“In people, muscles and bones work together. Muscles can pull on bones through tendons, strong connections between muscles and bones.”
Puschel bends his arm and comfortably straightens it again. Flauschi“At movable joints, bones can move relative to one another.”
Puschel“So my dance is teamwork!” Flauschi tries his little step. Each moves at their own pace.
Little Wusel quiz
What connects a skeletal muscle to a bone?
Choose one answer: a), b).
- a)A tendon
- b)A ligament joining two bones
Show answer
Correct answer: a): A tendon A tendon connects the muscle to the bone.
Why can an arm bend at the elbow?
Show answer
There is a movable joint there. Muscles pull on bones through tendons, strong connections between muscles and bones, to make the movement possible.
Word help
- cell
- A tiny living unit. Living things are made of cells.
- tendon
- A strong connection that transfers a muscle's pull to a bone.
- joint
- A connection between bones. Many joints allow movement.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
Bones meet at a joint
At the elbow the upper arm and forearm move relative to each other. The joint is their movable connection. Other joint shapes allow different movements.
A muscle pulls
A muscle can tighten and shorten. Through a tendon, a strong attachment to bone, it pulls the bone. Muscle work becomes movement at the joint.
Moving back takes teamwork
A muscle does not simply push the bone back. Other muscles help with the opposite movement. Several muscles therefore cooperate when bending and straightening, coordinated by the brain.
Why an arm does not simply push itself back
Muscles at the front of the upper arm help bend it; a muscle at the back contributes strongly when straightening. They coordinate their work. Imagine helpers pulling for opposite directions. This explains teamwork, not actual ropes inside an arm. Muscles and tendons are living tissue, body parts made of many cells.
The key points again
Discovery 1
Bones support the human body. Bones meet at joints; many joints allow movement, such as at the elbow or shoulder.
Discovery 2
Many muscles that move our bones are attached to them by tendons. Tendons are strong connections between muscles and bones. When a muscle contracts, it becomes shorter and can pull on a bone to move a joint.
Discovery 3
Several muscles work together during movement. Some tighten while others relax. We can consciously control many of these movements, such as raising an arm.
Source: [1]