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Year 7 - Science

Muscles

Human skeleton and muscles

Unit Summary

This unit investigates the structure and functions of the human skeleton, including support, protection, movement, and blood cell production. Explore biomechanics, the interaction of muscles and the skeleton, and antagonistic muscles while measuring muscle force.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe what muscles are made of and how they move.

Key Notes

  • The human body contains muscles.
  • Muscles are a type of tissue made up of specialised cells.
  • Muscles can contract and relax.
  • Muscles need sugar and oxygen to contract.
  • Different types of muscle have roles in organ systems, including cardiac muscle, smooth muscle and skeletal muscle.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • muscle: A living tissue made up of muscle cells.
  • contraction: The shortening of muscles, which requires energy.
  • cardiac muscle: Found in the heart and moves involuntarily.
  • smooth muscle: Found in organs such as the stomach and intestines and moves involuntarily.
  • skeletal muscle: Joined to bones, and moves voluntarily to make bones move.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Thinking that muscles are only found attached to the skeleton to move our limbs, and nowhere else.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.

The human body contains muscles. Muscles are a type of tissue made up of specialised cells.

2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'muscle'

A living tissue made up of muscle cells. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.

3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.

Mistake: Thinking that muscles are only found attached to the skeleton to move our limbs, and nowhere else. Correction: Discussion of three types of muscle, where they are found, and their roles.

More Lessons In This Unit

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