Locomotion and Movement

Biology
Locomotion and Movement

Locomotion and Movement

Irshad AnwarUpdated on 26 May 2025, 04:13 PM IST

Locomotion and Movement are important physiological functions that help organisms to travel from one location to another or undertake required internal tasks. In humans, these are controlled by the musculoskeletal system, which comprises 206 bones, more than 600 skeletal muscles, joints, and connective tissues, including ligaments and tendons.

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What Is Locomotion and Movement?
Difference between Locomotion and Movement
The Skeletal System
Different Types of Locomotion
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Movements can be voluntary or involuntary and are supported by three types of muscle: skeletal (striated and voluntary), smooth (non-striated and involuntary), and cardiac (striated, involuntary, and found only in the heart). Skeletal muscles are contracted upon receipt of neural messages to allow locomotion and posture maintenance. Studies reveal that skeletal muscles make up roughly 40–45% of body weight in adult men and 35% in women and, in addition to the role they play in movement, are involved in metabolism, thermoregulation, and endocrine function.

What Is Locomotion and Movement?

Locomotion and Movement are two closely related but different biological processes that are important to the existence and survival of living beings. While movement is any visible movement within the body or of the body parts, locomotion is a form of movement where there is a change in the position or place of an organism.

Difference between Locomotion and Movement

Some of the major differences between Locomotion and Movement are discussed below in the table:

Feature	Movement	Locomotion
Definition	Involves the motion of body parts or internal organs	A type of movement that results in the displacement of the body
Types	Can be voluntary or involuntary	Generally voluntary
Occurrence	Found in both plants and animals	Mainly found in animals
Purpose	Maintains internal body functions like digestion, circulation, etc.	Helps in finding food, escaping predators, or finding shelter
Examples	Eye blinking, muscle contraction, and movement of food in the intestines	Walking, running, swimming, flying

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Types of Movement

The human body shows various forms of movements to carry out various physiological activities and react to the surroundings. These movements are mostly done by the muscular system, which has an important function in locomotion and voluntary actions. Muscles constitute about 40–50% of body weight and are important not only for body movement but also for posture support and maintaining internal mechanisms. Depending upon the mechanism and structures involved, body movements have been categorised into amoeboid, ciliary, and muscular types. All of them are discussed below:

Type of Movement	Mechanism	Example
Amoeboid Movement	Involves the formation of pseudopodia by the flow of cytoplasm (protoplasmic flow)	Movement in an amoeba Also seen in WBCs during engulfing pathogens
Ciliary Movement	Involves rhythmic beating of hair-like cilia	Removal of dust and debris from the respiratory tract
Muscular Movement	Involves the contraction and relaxation of muscles	Movement of limbs, facial expressions, movement of tongue, etc.

Types of Muscles

Muscles are specialised tissues that exert force and produce movement by contracting and relaxing. They are a primary element of the musculoskeletal system and carry out both voluntary movements, like walking and involuntary actions like heartbeat and digestion. Depending on their structure, function, and regulation mechanisms, muscles of the human body are divided into three types: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. Each of these types has different traits and plays specific functions necessary for survival and everyday life.

Different types of muscles in the human body are discussed below:

Feature	Skeletal Muscle	Smooth Muscle	Cardiac Muscle
Location	Attached to bones	Found in internal organs (stomach, intestines, etc.)	Found only in the heart
Control	Voluntary (under conscious control)	Involuntary (not under conscious control)	Involuntary
Cell Shape	Long, cylindrical, multinucleated	Spindle-shaped, uninucleated	Branched, uninucleated or binucleated
Striations	Present (striped appearance)	Absent (non-striated)	Present (faint striations)
Function	Movement of body parts	Movement of internal organs (peristalsis, etc.)	Pumping blood throughout the body
Fatigue	Fatigues quickly	Fatigues slowly	Does not fatigue easily

The Skeletal System

The skeleton provides the structural framework of the human body, giving it support, a shield to the internal organs, and facilitating movement in synergy with muscles. The skeleton also acts as a storehouse for minerals such as calcium and phosphorus and contains bone marrow for blood cell production. A human adult skeleton is made up of 206 bones, while infants have around 270–300 bones at birth, many of which fuse as they mature and develop over time.

Classification of the Bones:

The human skeletal system is widely categorised under two divisions: axial skeleton and appendicular skeleton. This categorisation is done according to the position and functionality of the bones in the body. The axial skeleton is constituted of 80 bones, constituting the core axis of the body, whereas the appendicular skeleton is made up of 126 bones, being mostly responsible for locomotion and movement. These two structures combined offer support, protection to the essential organs and enable mobility.

Axial Skeleton Vs Appendicular Skeleton

The comparison between the skeletal systems is discussed below:

Feature	Axial Skeleton	Appendicular Skeleton
Number of Bones	80	126
Main Components	Skull, vertebral column, ribs, sternum	Limbs (arms and legs), pectoral and pelvic girdles
Location	Forms the central axis of the body	Attached to the axial skeleton
Primary Functions	Protection of the brain, spinal cord, and thoracic organs	Movement and interaction with the environment
Examples	Cranium, vertebrae, rib cage	Humerus, femur, scapula, pelvic bone

Joints

Joints or articulations are areas of structural structure where two or more bones converge. They are significant in supplying the skeleton with mobility and flexibility while ensuring that the skeleton remains stable. Based on their structure as well as the movement they allow, joints are vital for different body movements like walking, bending, and gripping. They also function to dissipate mechanical stress while enabling bones to grow and work together.

Types of joints:

Joints are classified according to their structural makeup and the amount of movement they allow. This helps account for how various joints contribute to the body's flexibility, stability, and function during a spectrum of movement and mechanical loads, ranging from the fixed joints of the skull to the extremely mobile joints such as the knees and shoulders. Knowing these types is critical for understanding how the skeletal system accommodates varied movements and mechanical loads.

Type of Joint	Mobility	Structure	Examples
Fibrous Joints	Immovable	Bones are joined by dense connective (fibrous) tissue	Sutures of the skull (cranial bones)
Cartilaginous Joints	Slightly movable	Bones are connected by cartilage (usually hyaline or fibrocartilage)	Intervertebral discs (vertebrae), pubic symphysis
Synovial Joints	Freely movable	Bones are separated by a synovial cavity filled with fluid, enclosed in a joint capsule	Knee, elbow, shoulder, hip

Different Types of Locomotion

Organisms have different forms of locomotion that suit their anatomical features and habitats. The modes of movement help them move around, acquire food, avoid predators, and interact with their environment effectively. The type of locomotion an organism employs is determined by body architecture, habitat, and evolutionary history. Some of the different types of movements are discussed below:

Walking: Coordinated movement of the legs and feet, common to terrestrial animals such as humans, dogs, and insects.
Running: Increased speed of walking with an off-the-ground phase of both feet, found in mammals and birds.
Swimming: Locomotion in water using fins, tails, or limbs; found in fish, amphibians, whales, and aquatic insects.
Flying: Locomotion in air using wings; found in birds, bats, and insects.
Crawling: Arhythmic locomotion with the aid of body contractions or limbs, as in earthworms, snakes, and reptiles.
Leaping/Jumping: Sudden acceleration into the air by muscles in the limbs, as in frogs, kangaroos, and grasshoppers.
Gliding: Passive flight without active wing flapping, as in flying squirrels and certain reptiles.
Burrowing: Travel through soil or substrates by specialised limbs or body parts, as in moles and earthworms.

Also Read:

Pectoral Girdle	5 major functions of the skeletal system
Disorders of Muscular and Skeletal System	Cori Cycle
Arthritis	Ball and Socket Joint
Arthritis symptoms	Hinge Joint
Arm bones diagram	List of the 206 Bones in Our Body

Locomotion and Movement

What Is Locomotion and Movement?

Difference between Locomotion and Movement

Types of Movement

Types of Muscles

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