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Where does anatomy end and kinesiology begin? In truth, there
is no answer because the question itself is not valid. One might
as well ask, “Where does the study of words end and the
writing of compositions (or articles, or books) begin?” or “Where
does the study of building materials end and the designing and erecting
of buildings begin?” Just as words are the elements used
in all writing, whether creative, factual, or expository, and just
as bricks, wood, cement, metal, and glass are some of the elements
used in building, so bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, blood
vessels, and nerves are the vital elements of human motion. They
are the essential elements used in batting a baseball, passing and
carrying a football, shooting a basketball into the basket—in
fact, in all running, walking, jumping, throwing, striking, catching,
and swimming; likewise, one finds them in keyboarding, manual labor,
painting, sewing, knitting, and so forth, almost without end.
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One aim of Part I is to prepare students of human motion, whether
they are in physical education, athletic training, physical therapy,
occupational therapy, exercise science, or other related professions,
to systematically analyze human movements in terms of muscles, joints,
and nervous system integration and to apply the knowledge provided
to improve performance in motor skills. This section should not
be looked upon merely as a review of anatomy but as the very foundation for
analysis of human motion. It demonstrates the close relationships
between anatomical structure and function, and it provides a body
of knowledge that can be utilized in learning and perfecting various
motor skills. It aims to demonstrate how the bones, joints, and
muscles serve as elements in anatomical levers, which act in accord
with the laws of mechanics. It also strives to make clear the influences
of gravitational and other external forces on muscular actions.
For instance, under certain circumstances, these forces may cause
an action to be the exact opposite of what one would expect in view
of the movement that is being performed. It should be obvious, therefore,
that memorizing the actions of muscles will not prepare the student
to make accurate analyses. Rather, a true understanding of all the
conditions that influence the functions of the muscles is necessary.
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A second aim of Part I is to equip the future physical education
instructor, coach, trainer, therapist, or fitness leader with the
anatomical knowledge essential for understanding the nature of common
injuries and their prevention or rehabilitation. For this reason,
considerable emphasis is placed on the structure of each joint,
the factors that contribute to its stability, and the factors that influence
the range of motion of each joint. One factor that many seem to
be ignorant about is the timetable of ages at which the epiphyseal
cartilages become ossified. It should be of interest because it
marks the turning point between the period of bone growth and the
period of bone maturity. Because of the significance of ...