Movement refers to the displacement or change in posture of an organism or its body parts, while locomotion involves moving the entire body from one place to another. Both processes are essential survival strategies, supported by cellular activities, muscular systems, and specialized adaptations. This guide covers definitions, types, mechanisms, examples, comparisons, diagrams, FAQs, and NEET-level MCQs.
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Movement refers to a change in position or location in space by an organism or its parts and embodies many diverse biological processes. However, locomotion entails only the capability of an organism to move from one place to the other by itself. Being able to tell the difference between the two terms is quite important in the field of biological science since it explains further, different mechanisms or ways organisms put in place to implement their survival or adaptation to different conditions.
Movement means any change in the position or posture of an organism or its parts about its environment.
Voluntary: Those which are controlled by conscious effort, including walking or making gestures.
Involuntary: Not controlled by conscious will; includes movement related to heartbeat, reflex actions, etc.
Cellular: It doesn't require that parts move with the environment. Includes movements of cytoplasmic streaming within cells.
Cellular Level: It includes the streaming of cytoplasm itself within the cells, cytoplasmic streaming.
Organismal Level: It contains muscular contraction, and ciliary movement, such as in respiratory epithelium.
Humans: Waving the arms, blinking, and breathing.
Animals: Amoeboid movement found in the amoeba, plants' tropism or growth towards light.
Locomotion, in particular, is the movement of an organism from one place to another.
Bipedalism (on two legs)
Quadrupedalism (on four legs)
Flying
Swimming.
Musculoskeletal Systems: It deals with the coordination of bones, muscles, and joints to move.
Adaptations: Organisms develop special adaptations such as wings in birds, fins in fish, and legs in mammals to move about.
Human: Walking, running, swimming.
Animal: Flying by birds, crawling by insects, swimming by fish.
Difference between movement and locomotion is one of the important difference and comparison articles in biology. The differences are listed below-
Movement | Locomotion | |
Definition | Change in position or posture. | Movement from one place to another. |
Mechanisms | Cellular processes, muscle contraction | Musculoskeletal systems, specialised adaptations |
Functional Purpose | Varied, includes cellular functions | Facilitates travel and navigation |
Evolutionary Role | Supports cellular functions, responses | Essential for survival, adaptation |
Important questions asked in NEET from this topic are:
Types of Movement and Locomotion
Movement vs Locomotion
Q1. Select incorrect statement
Skeletal muscles are closely associated with skeletal components of the body.
Skeletal muscles having stripped appearance.
Skeletal muscles are also called striated muscles.
None of these
Correct answer: 4) None of these
Explanation:
Skeletal muscles are closely associated with the skeletal components of the body. They have a striped appearance under the microscope and hence are called striated muscles.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4) None of these.
Q2. Due to deficiency of which hormone, bones become weak in females?
ACTH
TSH
Progesterone
Oestrogen
Correct answer: 4) Oestrogen
Explanation:
Oestrogen is secreted by the cells of Graafian (ovarian) follicles.
It stimulates the development of female secondary sex characteristics during puberty and maintains them through the reproductive years of adult life.
It also stimulates the maturation of the ova (in the ovaries) and the development of the uterine epithelium and the mammary glands.
Its absence caused weak bones in females
Hence, the correct answer is option 4) Oestrogens.
Q3. Bones are hard because having
Bone marrow
Calcium salt
Collagen fibres
More than one correct
Correct answer: 4) More than one correct
Explanation:
Jawbones and limb bones have a very hard matrix primarily due to the deposition of calcium salts, such as calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. These minerals provide rigidity and strength, enabling these bones to withstand mechanical stress and support the body's structure while facilitating movement and essential functions like chewing.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4) More than one correct answer.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Examples are the waving of arms, blinking in humans, amoeboid movement in animals, and plant tropisms.
Interactions with bones and joints move and facilitate locomotion brought about by the simple contraction of muscles.
Known distinctions of all these differences are important to clarify how organisms would be able to respond to their surroundings, survive through challenges, adapt to specialised movements, and have locomotor abilities.
While any change in position or posture comes under the category of movement, locomotion specifies only the ability to move from one place to another.
All changes in position are movement while locomotion is self-powered movement from one location to another.