The skeletal and muscular systems
Your skeleton is a living scaffold, and it goes nowhere without muscles pulling on it in matched pairs.
Part of your national curriculum
- Biology: structure and function: Understand the structure and functions of the human skeletal and muscular systems
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Understand the structure and functions of the human skeletal and muscular systems
Key learning points
- • What the skeleton does
- • Joints
- • Muscles work in antagonistic pairs
This lesson at a glance
- 26 minutes
- 16 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 16
Visual introductionPicture this
The skeletal and muscular systems
Your skeleton is a living scaffold, and it goes nowhere without muscles pulling on it in matched pairs.
In a nutshell
Understand the structure and functions of the human skeletal and muscular systems
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 16
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · What the skeleton does
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 16
Learn
What the skeleton does
The skeleton supports the body, protects organs (the ribcage protects the heart and lungs, the skull protects the brain), allows movement by providing anchor points for muscles, and produces blood cells in the bone marrow of certain bones.
Reset break
Part 4 of 16
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 16
Learn
Joints
Bones meet at joints. Synovial joints, like the knee and elbow, are lubricated by synovial fluid and allow free movement. Ligaments connect bone to bone, holding joints together, while cartilage cushions the bone ends and reduces friction.
Quick check
Part 6 of 16
Quick check
Part 7 of 16
Reset break
Part 8 of 16
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 16
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Muscles work in antagonistic pairs
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 16
Learn
Muscles work in antagonistic pairs
Muscles can only pull, not push, so they work in pairs. When the biceps contracts to bend the arm, the triceps relaxes; to straighten the arm, the triceps contracts and the biceps relaxes. Tendons attach muscle to bone.
Quick check
Part 11 of 16
Reset break
Part 12 of 16
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 16
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 14 of 16
Game · Recall cards
What connects muscle to bone?
Card 1 of 3
Mastery quiz
Part 15 of 16
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: The skeletal and muscular systems
3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. What connects muscle to bone?
2. Why do muscles work in antagonistic pairs?
3. Where are blood cells produced?
Lesson round-up
Part 16 of 16
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
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Understand the structure and functions of the human skeletal and muscular systems