Lesson 3 of 6

Joints

Goal: Describe how joints allow movement.

Puzzles for this lesson

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A joint is a place where bones meet. Most joints let your skeleton bend.

A brass hinge on a door
Hinge joint. It bends and straightens, like a door on its hinge. Your elbow and your knee are hinge joints.
A joystick with a round ball on top
Ball and socket joint. A ball on the end of one bone fits into a cup in another. It moves in almost every direction, like a joystick. Your shoulder and your hip are ball and socket joints.

Inside a joint. Tap each part to find out what it does.

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Key words in this lesson

Skeleton All the bones of the body, joined together

Joint A place where bones meet

Hinge joint A joint that bends and straightens, like the elbow

Ball and socket joint A joint that moves in almost every direction, like the hip

Cartilage Smooth tissue on the ends of bones that reduces friction

Ligament Joins bone to bone at a joint

Tendon Joins a muscle to a bone

For teachers: AQA 3.8.1 · Cambridge 8Bs.01