Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Physical Education (1PE0) · Spec C1 1.1.6 and C1 1.1.7
Muscles, tendons and ligaments
Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.
Key ideas
- There are three muscle types. Voluntary (skeletal) muscles are under your control, such as the biceps. Involuntary muscle works without you thinking, such as in the walls of blood vessels. Cardiac muscle is found only in the heart and does not tire.
- A tendon joins muscle to bone and passes the pull of the muscle to the bone. A ligament joins bone to bone.
- Learn what each named muscle does. The deltoid abducts the shoulder. The biceps flexes the elbow and the triceps extends it. The quadriceps extends the knee and the hamstrings flex it. The gluteus maximus extends the hip. The gastrocnemius plantar flexes the ankle and the tibialis anterior dorsi flexes it.
- Other muscles to know: trapezius, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, abdominals, external obliques and hip flexors.
Key terms
- Tendon
- Joins muscle to bone.
- Voluntary muscle
- Muscle you can control on purpose, such as the biceps.
- Involuntary muscle
- Muscle you cannot control, such as in the walls of blood vessels.
- Cardiac muscle
- The muscle of the heart. It is involuntary and does not fatigue.
- Plantar flexion
- Pointing the toes down, caused by the gastrocnemius.
- Dorsi flexion
- Pulling the toes up towards the shin, caused by the tibialis anterior.
Common mistakes
- Swapping tendons and ligaments. Remember: a tendon joins muscle to bone.
- Saying a muscle 'flexes' or 'bends'. The joint flexes. The muscle contracts.
- Describing cardiac muscle only by what the heart does. Say it is involuntary and does not tire.
Exam tip
When a question names a movement, work out the joint first and then the muscle. For hip extension the answer is gluteus maximus. Use the exact muscle name; 'thigh muscle' will not get the mark.
Free practice questions
7 questions, 11 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.
- Question 1 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which action does the deltoid cause at the shoulder joint?
- Question 2 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
A rugby player drives her leg backwards (extension at the hip). Which muscle is the agonist?
- Question 3 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement about cardiac muscle is correct?
- Question 4 · True or false[1 mark]
True or false: ligaments help to keep a joint stable.
- Question 5 · Fill the gaps[1 mark]
A ___ joins a muscle to a bone.
Word bank: ligament · cartilage · tendon · bursa
- Question 6 · Matching[4 marks]
Match each muscle to the action it causes.
- Question 7 · Choose more than one[2 marks]
Which TWO statements about tendons are correct?
Choose 2.