Function Of Ligaments
There are more than 20 ligament types in the body, according to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The ligaments are present in every part of the body, including upper and lower extremities, abdomen, chest, back, pelvis, neck and also the head. Ligaments are there to hold the body parts together and keep everything in place in order to prevent any injuries. They can change the length and the size to some point, where everything above the limit can trigger an injury. There are several important functions of ligaments which you should know about.
Protection
Ligaments are elastic and they can elongate and stretch to a certain stage, where it can allow the body to bend and move. When moving, ligaments are there to protect the bones from contact and to absorb the stress which can be made upon the skeletal system. This can be crucial when bending or lifting a heavy object, so our spine could be at risk. Ligaments protect our spine and hold the vertebrae together in order to keep a movement steady and to minimize any harm from sudden posture changes.
Dictating The Range Of Motion
Since ligaments are keeping together all the structures and are controlling the movement of the body, this means they are also defining the range of every move. Every joint has its ligaments where they work synergistically in order to stabilize the movement and also to prevent any dislocations and to induce the direction of the movement.
Proprioception
Proprioception is the ability of the body to know the position of its parts. So, by controlling the movements of the body and by holding everything together and in the right posture, the ligaments participate in the proprioception. This is also important when doing any activity since the sudden movement or the uncontrolled movement can lead to an injury.
Etymology
The word origin of vertebrate derives from the Latin word vertebratus (Pliny), meaning joint of the spine.[9] The Proto-Indo-European language origins are still unclear.
Vertebrate is derived from the word vertebra, which refers to any of the bones or segments of the spinal column.[10]
Anatomy and morphology
See also: Vertebrate anatomy
All vertebrates are built along the basic chordate body plan: a stiff rod running through the length of the animal (vertebral column and/or notochord),[11] with a hollow tube of nervous tissue (the spinal cord) above it and the gastrointestinal tract below.
In all vertebrates, the mouth is found at, or right below, the anterior end of the animal, while the anus opens to the exterior before the end of the body. The remaining part of the body continuing after the anus forms a tail with vertebrae and spinal cord, but no gut.[12]
Vertebral column
The defining characteristic of a vertebrate is the vertebral column, in which the notochord (a stiff rod of uniform composition) found in all chordates has been replaced by a segmented series of stiffer elements (vertebrae) separated by mobile joints (intervertebral discs, derived embryonically and evolutionarily from the notochord).
However, a few vertebrates have secondarily lost this anatomy, retaining the notochord into adulthood, such as the sturgeon[13] and coelacanth. Jawed vertebrates are typified by paired appendages (fins or legs, which may be secondarily lost), but this trait is not required in order for an animal to be a vertebrate.