COURSE STRUCTURE
There are 8 lessons in the course, as follows:
Lesson 1. How Nerves Work
- Structure of the nervous system
- Neuron function
- Anatomy of neurons
- How muscles work with nerves
- Basic body functions
Lesson 2. Nerves and Motor Skills
- Overview
- Synapses
- Neurotransmitters
- Neural circuits
- Science of motor skills
- How motor skills develop
- Physiology of the central nervous system
- Homeostatic reflex arc
- Spinal chord and spinal nerves
- Central sensiomotor programs
Lesson 3. Skeletal Muscle
- The skeleton
- How bones form
- Anatomy of bone
- Fractures and fracture healing
- Types of bones
- Bone joints
- Skeletal muscles
- Smooth muscle
- Striated voluntary muscle
- Cardiac muscle
- Relationship between muscle and skeleton
Lesson 4. Muscle Organisation
- Parts of the muscular system: tendons, deep fascia, epimysium etc.
- Types of muscle fibre
- Muscle types: striated, smooth, cardiac
- Skeletal muscle types: slow oxidative, fast glycolic, etc.
- What muscle cause what movement
Lesson 5. Muscular Movement
- How do muscles move
- How skeletal muscles produce movement
- How levers are used to produce muscular movement
- Group actions
- Terminology
- Muscle groups and movements
Lesson 6. Muscular Development
- Muscular body function
- Energy systems
- Muscular strength
- Muscular endurance
Lesson 7. Muscle Flexibility
- Introduction
- Flexibility
- Excitation contraction of muscle
- Different levels of flexibility
- Internal flexibility
- External flexibility
Lesson 8. Muscles and Posture
- Posture
- Gravity support
- Net movement
- Benefits of posture
- Good posture
- Postural mechanisms
- Slow and fast twitch muscles
- Nervous system feedback
- Posture improvement
- Ergonomics
Core Competencies Developed
On successful completion of the course, you should be able to:
- Explain how the nervous system transmits electrical impulses to produce muscle contraction and coordinated movement.
- Evaluate the relationship between the nervous system, motor learning and the development of movement skills.
- Describe the anatomy, structure and function of skeletal muscle tissue.
- Identify and explain the microscopic (histological) organisation of human muscle tissue.
- Analyse the biomechanics of human movement, including lever systems, force generation and muscular action.
- Evaluate the physiological adaptations associated with strength, power and muscular endurance training.
- Apply anatomical and physiological principles to develop appropriate flexibility and mobility exercise programs.
- Assess the role of muscles in maintaining posture, joint stability and long-term musculoskeletal health.
What the Course Covers
Here are just some of the things you may be doing:
- Draw a cross section of the spinal cord and label the anatomical parts.
- Explain what happens when an electrical stimulus is sent along the central nervous system, by illustrating and labelling the reflex arc.
- Explain nerve to nerve synapses, during a specific body movement.
- Explain activity at muscle-nerve junctions, during the specific body movement.
- Explain how proprioceptors function, during the specific body movement.
- Explain processes which occur in the nervous system, when a specific muscle moves.
- Explain the functioning of the following different sensory receptors:
- Distinguish between the functions of the following different neuroglia:
- Astrocytes
- Oligodendrocytes
- Microglia
- Ependymal cells
- Neurolemmocytes
- Satellite cells
- Explain how the function of different parts of the brain affect different specific muscular movements in the body.
- Explain how a specific voluntary skill is learnt by the body.
- Explain the dampening effect, as exerted through the cerebellum.
- Explain how the body perceives speed through the nervous system.
- Explain the operation of tendons, during a specific movement of a limb.
- Compare the function of motor with sensory fibres in nerves supplying muscles.
- Compare differences in the structural characteristics of red and white muscle fibres.
- Summarise events occurring during muscular contraction, at a microscopic level.
- Explain how muscles of the hand move when you pick up a tennis ball.
- Prepare diagrams showing the muscles in the back which provide both support and movement for the spinal column.
- Explain the significance of these muscles to health, well-being and mobility.
- Explain the principle of levers related to an observed muscular movement.
- Explain the principle of moments related to an observed muscular movement.
- Explain muscular movements which occur in the observed subjects, when using three different types of exercise machines.
- Explain three different body movements, in terms of the action of different bones, muscles and nerves; including the movement of a limb in exercise, and the bending of the back, and one hand movement.
- Distinguish between isotonic, isometric, eccentric and isokinetic contractions.
- List ways how strength can be maintained and increased.
- List ways how endurance can be maintained and increased.
- Explain three different physiological changes which accompany increased strength.
- Explain the overload principle, related to muscular development.
- Explain biological processes in force to effect strength and endurance in an athlete observed and interviewed by you.
- Compare static and dynamic flexibility, in an individual observed by you.
- Explain the structural limits to flexibility, in three different people of different ages.
- List ways of developing flexibility in a specific individual.
- Explain the relationship between flexibility and aspects of performance in a specific case study.
- Develop an exercise program to develop/maintain flexibility for a person.
- Submit photos together with comments on the posture of each person you studied. Comment on the age, sex and occupation of each of these people.
- How might posture affect general wellbeing, including arthritis and back pain.
From our Students ...
" ...it is very informative and worthwhile. I am glad I started the course. Of the many available from different schools, this offers the best value for money. "
- Sonia, studying Human Biology
"The information given was excellent, but the assignments also made you look further to find answers yourself and I find this a much better way of learning than just being handed all the answers. It has given me a grounding knowledge in human biology which is perfect as I am applying to study Chiropractics at university next year. I couldn’t have asked for more from my tutor. She was very thorough and extremely helpful with any problems I encountered".
- Kate, Anatomy
What Next?
Ready to understand how the musculoskeletal system works? Enrol today and build practical knowledge of muscle function, movement and biomechanics.