Types of Movement in Humans: Introduction, Skeletal system, Joints, Types of Movement

Types of Movement in Humans: Do you know how we can move our body during exercise, or how do we pick up a glass of water? Movement is one of the basic features of living organisms. Movement simply means to move the body from one place to another. In terms of anatomy, movement means moving the body parts around a particular axis, for example, moving the hand in an up and down direction. Read this article to know more about various types of movements that occur in the human body.

Types of Movement

Movements of external body parts like limbs, appendages, head, and trunk help in locomotion and maintain the equilibrium of the body. Movements of limbs, jaws, etc., help in capturing food in different organisms. The movement of the eyeball helps to see the objects, and the pinna’s movement helps to collect sound waves.

The movement of internal organs like peristalsis in the digestive system helps to move food downward; cardiac muscle movement circulates the blood, movement of ribs helps in breathing. These various movements are necessary for an individual.

Four types of movements shown by the cell of the human body are:

1. Amoeboid movement: It is a type of movement that occurs due to the presence of pseudopodia-like movement as a result of cytoplasmic streaming. Pseudopodia are the false foot which are the extensions of the cytoplasm. It is shown by the macrophages and leukocytes in the blood and cytoskeletal elements like microfilaments.
2. Ciliary movement: It occurs in most of our internal tubular organs lined by ciliated epithelium. It is shown by the cilia present in the upper respiratory tract of humans to keep the microbes and dust particles out, cilia in fallopian tubes of females, and cilia in vasa efferentia of males, which helps in the transport of ova and spermatozoa, respectively.
3. Muscular movement: It occurs due to alternate contraction and relaxation of muscles. It involves the movement of limbs, tongue, etc.
4. Flagellar movement: It is a type of movement that occurs due to the presence of flagella in the cell. The movement of flagella causes the propulsion of the cell in a forward direction. This type of movement is shown by the tail of the human sperm.

Various types of body movements in humans:

1. Flexion: It is a type of movement that occurs in the sagittal plane. It involves forward movement of the body parts such as movement of the neck or hand in forwarding direction. In this type of movement, there occurs a decrease in the angle between the body parts. For example, forward movement of the hand causes decreases in the angle formed between the neck and the body parts.
2. Extension: It involves the extension or straightening of a limb. It involves the extension of the body parts, such as moving the hand in the backward direction, which increases the angle between the hand and the body parts.

Fig: Flexion and Extension Movements

3. Abduction: This type of movement occurs around the anteroposterior axis and occurs within the frontal plane. It involves the movement of the limb away from the midline of the body. For example, movement of the hand away from the median plane of the body.
4. Adduction: This type of movement also occurs in the anteroposterior axis and occurs within the frontal plane, but it involves the movement of the limb towards the midline of the body. For example, movement of the hand towards the median plane of the body.
5. Lateral Rotation: Rotation occurs in the transverse axis of the body around the longitudinal plane. There occurs twisting movement of the body parts.  It involves the rotation of body parts laterally, that is, away from the midline.
6. Medial Rotation: It involves the rotation of body parts medially, that is, towards the midline.

   Fig: Adduction, Abduction, Lateral Rotation, and Medial Rotation Movements

7. Elevation: It involves the movement of body parts in a superior direction, for example, upward movement of the mandible.
8. Depression: It involves movement of body parts in an inferior direction, for example, downward movement of the mandible.

Fig: Elevation and Depression of Mandible

9. Pronation: It is the movement of the forearm. In this type of movement, there occurs twisting of the radius bone of the forearm over ulna bone. It involves turning the palm in a downward direction.
10. Supination: It is the movement of the forearm that involves turning the palm in an upward direction.

Fig: Pronation and Supination of the Hand

11. Dorsiflexion: It involves flexion of the top part of the foot so that it points in a superior direction. This type of movement occurs when the foot is lifted upward while keeping the heel on the ground. In this type of movement, the angle is decreased between the foot and the anterior part of the leg.
12. Plantarflexion: It involves the extension of the foot so that it points in an inferior direction. This type of movement occurs when toes are pointed in the downward direction.

Fig: Dorsiflexion and Plantar Flexion Movements

13. Inversion: It involves movement of the foot in the medial direction.
14. Eversion: It involves the movement of the foot away from the midline in the lateral direction.

 Fig: Inversion and Eversion Movements

15. Opposition: It is the type of movement that involves the movement of the digits. It involves movement of the thumb towards the little finger, thus, bringing the thumb and the little finger together.
16. Reposition: It involves the movement of the thumb and little finger in the opposite direction.

Fig: Opposition Movement

17. Protraction: It involves anterolateral movement of the scapula or the mandible, which helps in their movement in the anterior direction.
18. Retraction: It involves postero-lateral movement of the scapula or the mandible, which helps in their movement in the posterior direction.

Fig: Protraction and Retraction of the Mandible

Joints

Joints are also called articulation.  A joint is a place where two adjacent bones or bones and cartilage come together to form a connection with each other. Joints are mainly classified as fibrous joint, synovial joint, and cartilaginous joint.

1. Fibrous joint: This type of joint does not allow any movement. This type of joint is also known as a fixed joint or immovable joint, or synarthroses. These are present in skull bones, where bones are fused with the help of dense fibrous connective tissue in the form of sutures. Another example of this type of joint is between teeth and maxilla and between teeth and mandible. This type of joint is known as gomphosis.
2. Cartilaginous joint: This type of joint is present in the vertebral column of the human body, where slight movement is permitted. This type of joint contains cartilage in between them to allow slight movement around them. This type of joint is also known as synchondroses. The pubic symphysis is also an example of this type of joint.
3. Synovial joint: This type of joint allows considerable movement of the body. This type of joint is also known as the diarthrosis joint. It is the most movable joint present in the body. It is characterized by the presence of synovial fluid which is secreted by the inner membrane of the synovial cavity. The synovial cavity is the space between the bones that is filled with synovial fluid. This fluid acts as a shock absorber and also as a lubricant between the articulating cartilages, which permits smooth movement through the joint. A synovial joint is of six types, namely:

a) Plane joint:  In this type of joint, only gliding movement occurs, for example, intercarpal joints, intertarsal joints, etc.
b) Hinge joint: In this type of joint, movement occurs in one plane only, for example, bending and straightening of the elbow, etc.
c) Pivot joint: In this type of joint, movement occurs with the rotation of a bone in one plane around its longitudinal axis. For example, the joint between the atlas and axis bone.
d) Condyloid joint: In this type of joint, movement occurs in two planes. In this joint, the oval surface of bone gets articulated with the depressed surface of its complementary bone—for example, radiocarpal joints, etc.
e) Saddle joint: This type of joint is similar to the condyloid joint but allows more movement, for example, carpometacarpal joints of the thumb.
f) Ball and socket joint: This type of joint allows movement in all the axis of rotation. For example, the hip joint and shoulder joint.

Summary

Movement is one of the basic features of living organisms. It simply means to move the body from one place to another. In terms of anatomy, movement means moving the body parts around a particular axis, for example, moving the hand in an up and down direction. Various types of movements are there in the body with the help of which different body parts can move in different directions. A joint is a place where two adjacent bones or bones and cartilage come together to form a connection with each other. There are three types of joints based on their structure that are fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial joints.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Types of Movements in Humans

Q.1. Define the movement of the body.
Ans: Movement is defined as any visible change in the position of any part of the body or in the organism as a whole.

Q.2. What are the four types of movement present in the human body?
Ans: The four types of movement are amoeboid movement, ciliary movement, muscular movement, and flagellar movement.

Q.3. What are the types of joints present in the body based upon their structure?
Ans: There are three types of joints based upon their structure, namely, fibrous joint, cartilaginous joints, and synovial joint.

Q.4. What is the difference between adduction and abduction?
Ans: Adduction is the movement of limbs towards the midline of the body, whereas abduction is the movement of limbs away from the midline.

Q.5. Give examples of synovial joints.
Ans: Examples of synovial joints are the shoulder joint and the hip joint.

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