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Why This Matters for Nursing: These systems enable movement and protect organs. Understanding them helps you assess mobility, manage fractures, position patients safely, and understand musculoskeletal conditions.
The skeletal and muscular systems work together to support the body, enable movement, and protect vital organs.
Bone Regions: - Axial = "Axis" of body (skull, spine, ribs) β 80 bones - Appendicular = "Appendages" (arms, legs) β 126 bones
Joint Types (mobility): "Some Joints Can't Move" Synovial = freely movable (knees, elbows) Cartilaginous = slightly movable (spine) Fibrous = immovable (skull sutures)
| Type | Shape | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Long | Longer than wide | Femur, humerus, phalanges |
| Short | Cube-like | Carpals (wrist), tarsals (ankle) |
| Flat | Thin, flat | Skull, ribs, scapula |
| Irregular | Complex shapes | Vertebrae, facial bones |
| Part | Description |
|---|---|
| Compact bone | Dense outer layer |
| Spongy bone | Porous inner layer; contains marrow |
| Periosteum | Outer membrane; blood vessels, nerves |
| Bone marrow | Red (makes blood cells) or yellow (fat storage) |
| Type | Movement | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Synovial | Freely movable | Knee, shoulder, hip, elbow |
| Cartilaginous | Slightly movable | Vertebral discs, pubic symphysis |
| Fibrous | Immovable | Skull sutures |
| Type | Movement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hinge | Back and forth | Elbow, knee |
| Ball-and-socket | All directions | Hip, shoulder |
| Pivot | Rotation | Neck (atlas/axis) |
| Type | Control | Location | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skeletal | Voluntary | Attached to bones | Striated |
| Cardiac | Involuntary | Heart only | Striated |
| Smooth | Involuntary | Internal organs, vessels | Non-striated |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Origin | Fixed attachment point |
| Insertion | Movable attachment point |
| Tendon | Connects muscle to bone |
| Ligament | Connects bone to bone |
Memory: "Tendons attach muscles To bone; Ligaments Link bones"
Question: What type of muscle is found in the walls of blood vessels?
Step 1 β Know the three muscle types. The body has three distinct muscle types, each with different properties: - Skeletal muscle = attached to bones, voluntary (you control it consciously), striated (striped appearance under microscope) - Cardiac muscle = only in the heart, involuntary (beats without you thinking about it), striated - Smooth muscle = found in internal organs and blood vessel walls, involuntary, NOT striated (hence "smooth")
Step 2 β Apply to blood vessels. The walls of arteries and veins contain muscle that controls their diameter β constricting or dilating to regulate blood flow and pressure. You don't consciously control this. And it's in an internal organ-like structure, not attached to bone. That's smooth muscle.
Step 3 β Confirm. Smooth muscle is also in: the stomach and intestines (peristalsis), the uterus (contractions during labor), the bladder (urination control), and the eyes (pupil size). All involuntary, all smooth.
Answer: Smooth muscle β Involuntary, non-striated, found in blood vessel walls and internal organs.
π₯ Nursing connection: Blood pressure medications like calcium channel blockers work by relaxing smooth muscle in blood vessel walls, causing the vessels to dilate and blood pressure to drop. You're literally pharmacologically targeting smooth muscle.
The worked examples and practice problems are the part that actually prepares you for the TEAS.
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