7.1.1 Muscles, tendons, skeleton and antagonistic pairs Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 7

The 20 questions

1. Which structure attaches a skeletal muscle to a bone?

   • A sarcomere, the functional unit of a myofibril that shortens during contraction
   • A cartilage pad, a layer of tissue that cushions the ends of bones within the joint
   • A tendon, a band of collagen fibres that transmits the force of contraction to the bone
   • A ligament, a band of collagen fibres that joins one bone to another at a joint

2. Which structure joins one bone to another at a joint?

   • A tendon, which connects a muscle to a bone and transmits the contraction force
   • A myofibril, which is a bundle of filaments that runs along the length of a muscle fibre
   • A ligament, which holds the bones together and limits excessive movement
   • A synovial membrane, which secretes lubricating fluid but does not join the two bones

3. In an arm, which muscle acts as the flexor during bending of the elbow?

   • The biceps, which contracts to bend the elbow and pull the forearm towards the shoulder
   • The triceps, which contracts to straighten the elbow and extend the forearm
   • The pectoralis major, which contracts to rotate the upper arm at the shoulder joint
   • The deltoid, which contracts to raise the arm sideways away from the body

4. Which pair of muscles is an example of an antagonistic pair?

   • Biceps and triceps, which move the forearm in opposite directions at the elbow
   • Triceps and gastrocnemius, which both straighten the same joint at the same time
   • Biceps and deltoid, which both bend the elbow when they contract at the same time
   • Diaphragm and intercostal muscles, which always contract together to produce a single movement

5. What is meant by an extensor muscle?

   • A muscle that contracts only in the heart and is not attached to any bone at all
   • A muscle that contracts to straighten or increase the angle at a joint
   • A muscle that contracts to bend a joint and decrease the angle at the joint
   • A muscle that contracts to rotate a bone about its long axis without changing the joint angle

6. Why must muscles work in antagonistic pairs?

   • Muscles can only pull, not push
   • Muscles produce heat only when they are paired, so a second muscle is needed to keep the body warm
   • Muscles are made of cartilage only when paired, so antagonistic arrangements maintain bone growth
   • Muscles can push as well as pull, but antagonistic pairs are needed to supply oxygen to the joints

7. A student flexes the elbow. Which change in the arm best describes what happens to the biceps?

   • It contracts and shortens, pulling the forearm towards the upper arm
   • It contracts and lengthens, which increases the angle at the elbow
   • It stays the same length and only changes colour when the elbow is bent
   • It relaxes and lengthens, pulling the forearm away from the upper arm

8. Which feature of the skeleton allows muscles to pull a limb about a joint?

   • Bones contain muscle tissue that contracts directly to move the joint without any other structure
   • Bones are fused together in adults, so muscles can only move the whole skeleton as one unit
   • Bones are made of solid collagen throughout, which makes them flexible and able to bend
   • Bones act as levers, and the joint acts as a pivot about which the bone rotates

9. What is the main role of ligaments at a joint, and why?

   • They are made of muscle tissue and contract to move the bones at a joint in a controlled way
   • They are made of cartilage and are highly elastic, so they store energy like a spring in the joint
   • They are made of keratin and are found only in the skin, where they attach hair to the dermis
   • They are made of collagen and are inelastic

10. Which feature of muscles allows them to work by contraction only?

    • They can both shorten and lengthen actively, so one muscle is sufficient to move a limb in both directions
    • They can only shorten actively, so an opposing muscle must lengthen them when the joint returns
    • They can produce force in any direction, so no antagonistic muscles are needed at any joint
    • They can stretch indefinitely without damage, so they never need to be returned by another muscle

11. A limb is moved by a muscle attached 4 cm from the joint pivot. The muscle exerts a force of 200 N. What is the moment about the pivot?

    • 800 N m, since 4 cm multiplied by 200 N gives 800 N m without changing units
    • 50 N m, since 200 N divided by 4 cm gives a moment of 50 N m
    • 0.2 N m, since 200 N divided by 1000 is the moment in newton metres
    • 8 N m, since 0.04 m x 200 N = 8 N m

12. In a third-class lever arrangement of the forearm, where is the effort applied relative to the load and the pivot?

    • The pivot is applied between the effort and the load, which is a common feature of most levers
    • The load is applied between the pivot and the effort, so the arrangement is a first-class lever
    • The effort is applied between the pivot and the load
    • The effort and the load are applied at the same point, so no moment is produced

13. Which tissue is found at the joints to reduce friction between bones?

    • Myelin, which covers the axons of neurones and provides a smooth surface for bone movement
    • Keratin, which forms the outer layer of the skin and lubricates the joint surfaces directly
    • Cartilage, which covers the ends of bones and provides a smooth, low-friction surface
    • Tendon, which attaches the muscle to the bone and provides a smooth surface for movement

14. Which statement about the muscles in the body during an activity is correct?

    • Each muscle works alone, and no coordination with other muscles is needed for any movement
    • Many muscles work in groups and pairs, and their coordinated actions produce smooth movement
    • Muscles contract continuously without relaxing, which is why joints become stiff during exercise
    • Muscles only work when the nervous system is inactive, so movement is always reflexive

15. Which of these is a function of the skeleton beyond movement?

    • Storage of glucose as starch in the cells of the bone shaft
    • Digestion of food in the joints using enzymes secreted by the synovial membrane
    • Protection of organs, such as the brain enclosed by the skull
    • Production of oxygen through photosynthesis within the bone marrow of long bones

16. Which statement evaluates why a tendon injury might impair movement more than a ligament injury?

    • A tendon injury stops the muscle transmitting force to the bone, so the movement is directly lost
    • A ligament injury always removes all force from the muscle, which is why it is more serious
    • A tendon injury only affects the blood supply, so the movement is not impaired at all
    • A ligament injury stops the bone from being moved by the muscle, so it is always more severe

17. Which is the function of the synovial fluid in a joint?

    • It stores glucose and releases it into the muscle when the muscle is contracting strongly
    • It attaches the muscle to the bone and transmits the force of contraction to the skeleton
    • It produces the force that moves the joint by contracting in response to nervous signals
    • It lubricates the joint and nourishes the cartilage, reducing friction during movement

18. Which feature of a joint is most directly limited by ligaments?

    • The speed of nerve impulses, by insulating the nerve from the surrounding muscle tissue
    • The strength of the muscle, by reducing the number of fibres that can contract together
    • The rate of blood flow, by blocking the capillaries that supply the muscle around the joint
    • The range of movement, by preventing the joint from bending beyond its normal limits

19. Which statement describes the origin and insertion of a muscle?

    • The origin and insertion are both to the same bone, so the muscle cannot produce movement
    • The origin is the fixed attachment and the insertion is the attachment to the bone that moves
    • The origin is the attachment that moves, and the insertion is the attachment that stays fixed
    • The origin is the nerve supply to the muscle, and the insertion is the blood supply to it

20. A muscle is described as a flexor. Which joint action does this describe?

    • Raising the arm sideways away from the body in the shoulder joint
    • Increasing the angle at a joint, such as straightening the knee
    • Rotating a limb about its long axis, such as turning the forearm
    • Decreasing the angle at a joint, such as bending the knee

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