The musculoskeletal system (locomotor system) is a human body system that provides our body with movement, stability, shape, and support. It is subdivided into two broad systems:
- Muscular system, which includes all types of muscles in the body. Skeletal muscles, in particular, are the ones that act on the body joints to produce movements. Besides muscles, the muscular system contains the tendons which attach the muscles to the bones.
- Skeletal system, whose main component is the bone. Bones articulate with each other and form the joints, providing our bodies with a hard-core, yet mobile, skeleton. The integrity and function of the bones and joints is supported by the accessory structures of the skeletal system; articular cartilage, ligaments, and bursae.
Besides its main function to provide the body with stability and mobility, the musculoskeletal system has many other functions; the skeletal part plays an important role in other homeostatic functions such as storage of minerals (e.g., calcium) and hematopoiesis, while the muscular system stores the majority of the body’s carbohydrates in the form of glycogen.
This article will introduce you to the anatomy and function of the musculoskeletal system.
| Definition | A human body system that provides the body with movement, stability, shape, and support |
| Components | Muscular system: skeletal muscles and tendons Skeletal system: bones, joints; associated tissues (cartilage, ligaments, joint capsule, bursae) |
| Function | Muscles: Movement production, joint stabilization, maintaining posture, body heat production Bones: Mechanical basis for movements, providing framework for the body, vital organs protection, blood cells production, storage of minerals |
