Page 36 - Active Science 5 Ebook and Activity

Joints
A joint is the place in the body where two bones meet. Strong bands of tissue called

ligaments hold two bones together at a joint.

There are two types of joints in our body – immovable and movable. Since bones of the
skull are fixed, the joints between them are immovable. Joints in other parts of the body
are movable and are of four types.

1. Hinge Joint: The hinge joints are

similar to the movement of the hinges Knee
Joint
of a door. They can move back and forth.
Bones in fingers, knees, toes and elbows Elbow
are all hinge joints. For example, we Joint

can fold our elbows to touch our neck
and shoulders. It enables movement Finger Toe
similar to the opening and closing of a Joint Hinge Joints Joint
hinged door.

2. Ball and Socket Joint: These joints
are the most flexible joints of the body. Hip

You can move these joints around Joint
very comfortably. These joints help in
movement such as rotating, bending Shoulder
and stretching. The shoulder joint Joint

and hip joint are examples of ball and Ball and Socket Joint
socket joints.

3. Pivot Joint: The skull is connected Joints between
to the backbone with a pivot joint. It the skull and
allows us to move our head downwards, backbone

upwards and sideways by nodding and
shaking of the head. Pivot Joint

4. Gliding Joint: The type of joint which Ankle

allows the bones to slide over each other Joint
is called gliding joint. This type of joint
is found in bones of wrist and ankle. Wrist
Joint
Gliding Joint

36 Active Science-5