MOVEMENTS IN ANIMALS AND PLANTS

By Ms. Mita WaglePawar Public SchoolKandivali

Movement…• Characteristic feature of living things.• Seen in plants as well. (e.g. Touch me not plant)

TYPES OF MOVEMENT

MOVEMENT OF ONLY THE BODY PARTS EG. BLINKING OF EYELIDS, WILTING OF LEAVES,

CLOSING AND OPENING OF PETALS

LOCOMOTORY MOVEMENTS WHICH ALLOWS AN ORGANISM TO MOVE FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER

AS A WHOLE.THIS ALLOWS THEM TO COLLECT FOOD, AVOID

ENEMIES AND SEARCH FOR SHELTER.EG. COWS MOVE FOR FOOD, FROGS JUMP INTO WATER

FOR SAFETY

MOVEMENT LOCOMOTION

1. It takes place even in fixed organisms, like plants.

1. It takes place in free living organisms.

2. Only the body parts move2. The entire body of an organism moves from one place to another.

Examples i) Movement of joints

ii) Bending of sunflower towards sun.

ii) Drooping of mimosa plant leaves on touching and again

coming back to original position after sometime.

Examplesi) Lion moves in jungle for

searching food.ii) Fishes swim all around in

water.iii) Snakes crawl for finding prey.

Movements in Plants• In most plants, only the body parts move.• Some unicellular plants like algae swim with the

help of flagella.

TYPES OF MOVEMENTIN PLANTS

TROPIC MOVEMENTS (Gk. Tropicos: turn)These are the turning growth movements of a plant

part, in response to a directional stimulus i.e. the direction of response is related to the direction of

the stimulus.

NASTIC MOVEMENTS (Gk. Nastos: pressed)These are movements of a plant part, in response to

some sort of pressure even as gentle as finger-touch or that of blowing wind stimulus.

Tropic movements• Geotropism (response to gravity)a) Positive: roots grow downward b) Negative: stem grows upwards

• Phototropism (response to light)a) Plant bending towards sunlight

• Hydrotropism (response to water)a) Positive: roots grow downward to absorb water b) Negative: stem grows upwards

• Thigmotropism ( response to touch) (eg. climbers)a) Twining of pea tendrils around the support and spiraling of bean shoot

Thigmonastic movement

In venus fly trap, leaves close rapidly together when touched by an insect. Such movements produced by touch are called thigmonastic movements.

A] Movements in Microorganisms1. Creeping movement:

• Amoeba is a simple unicellular organism found in fresh water, such as ponds.

• It moves by protruding its body in the desired direction.

• The finger like projections are called pseudopodia.

• To change the direction, the earlier pseudopodium stops to grow, and another one starts extending in desired direction. This is called amoeboid movement.

• This kind of movement also occurs in white blood cells.

2. Swimming:• Euglena moves with the help of a long, threadlike

structure called flagellum.• During movement, the flagellum beats back and forthand thus draws the organismforward through water.• Movement with the help of flagellum is called

flagellar movement.

• In Paramecium, the entire body is covered with tiny, delicate, “hair-like” outgrowths called cilia.

• The cilia beat water backward to carry the paramecium forward.

• The ciliary movement is oblique, therefore the organism also rotates on its longitudinal axis.

• Movement with help of cilia is called ciliary movement.

3. Bending Movements:• Hydra is a fixed aquatic animal found attachedto submerged stones, aquatic plants, etc.• It bears many flexible and delicate tentacles at

its free end which help in feeding. • Keeping its basal end fixed, they catch tiny prey

and bend over the mouth to push it in.• Hdra shows two types of locomotory

movements viz. looping and somersaulting.

• In Looping, Hydra bends its body and fixes the tentacles to the substratum. It then frees its fixed end and draws it near the tentacles and then straightens up again.

• In somersaulting, it bends the body by making the tentacles touch the substratum. It releases its base and straightens it up to make the body stand upside down. It then releases the tentacles to make the body straight.

B] Crawling Movements1. Earthworm• An earthworm moves with the help of tiny

muscles. • Its tiny curved hard bristles called setae are

embedded in its body wall.

SETAE

• During locomotion, the circular muscles contract, making the body thinner and thus extending the body forward.

• This is followed by the contraction of the longitudinal muscles causing thickening and shortening of the body. This is followed by a wave of thinning and the process is repeated.

Two types of musclesLongitudinal muscles

Thickening and shortening of the body

Circular muscles Thinning of the body

• Each wave of circular contraction causes the affected portion of the body to move forward.

• But the portion in the state of longitudinal contraction, does not move as it is anchored to the ground by the protruded setae.

• Thus, setae always protrude during longitudinal contraction and retreat during circular contraction.

2. Starfish• These are marine animals that live on the sandy

bottoms of the sea. • They have thousands of tiny tubular retractile feet

called tube feet. Each feet ends in a sucker.

• Tube feet help in crawling by sticking and pulling them.

MOVEMENTS IN FROG

• Floating Swimming Leaping

Floating

• While floating, frogs keep the tip of their snout (bearing nostrils) and the two bulging eyes projected above the water surface.

• Rest of the body hang downwards and both the legs are fully stretched.

• Eyes: to lookout for enemies. • Nostrils: take in air.

• Lungs filled with air and fully stretched legs give it the upward thrust to float.

Swimming

• The powerful hind legs of frogs act like oars.• The webbed feet provide a large surface for

kicking the water. Such a shape of the body is termed as streamlined.

• The front legs help in changing the direction.

Leaping

• The hind legs are “Z” shaped manner while sitting.

• Sudden straightening of the hind legs, throws the body forward and upward.

• The frog lands on the ground at some distance, when the front legs give the support and finally the frog comes a rest.

Swimming movements in a fish• Types of fins:

(PAIRED)(PAIRED)

(VENTRAL FIN)

(TAIL FIN)

• Forward movement by body and tail.

• Fish swims forward by means of side-to-side movements of its body, particularly the tail.

• The tail fin pushes the water sideward and backward, and the fish moves forward.

• The paired fins help in 3 ways:1. To swim downward or upward.2. To maintain body at rest at any depth.3. To act as brakes to slow down or stop.

• Median fins help in balancing the body.

• The combined effect of tail and paired fins help in changing the direction i.e. steering.

Flying Movements - Birds

• Most birds fly though some birds like ducks can swim as well and some, like ostrich, can run ver ast by their long legs.

Types of flying movements

Flapping Gliding

• In flapping flight, there are two principal movements: downstroke and upstroke

• In downstroke, the air is pushed downward and backward, as a result of which the bird moves upward and forward. Downstroke is more powerful.

• In upstroke, wing is slightly rotated on the long axis and slightly bent at the “wrist” to reduce resistance against air.

• In gliding, the wings are held and stretched sideward without flapping.

• In simple gliding, in still air, the path of the flight is downward to some degrees.

• In soaring, the birds take advantage of air currents in gaining heights. The soaring birds now and then glide glide downward to gain speed.

• The tail acts as a rudder and helps the bird in stabilising and steering.

• The tail also acts as a brake to slow down the speed for alighting on the ground.

• Speed: 50-100 Km/hr

Flying Movements - Insects• Most insects have Two pairs of wings:

forewings and hindwings• Some insects have only forewings.

Egs. Houseflies, mosquitoes• Some insects do not have wings and use legs to

move around.

Flying Movements - Bats

• The only mammals which can fly.• Forelimbs modified into wings.• Arms and hands form a framework.• Skin stretches like a membranous sheet

between elongated fingers, hindlegs and tail.• Fingers support the wing; they open and close

the membrane.

Movement in humans

Skeleton System

Axial

Skull

Vertebrae

Rib-cage

Appendicular

Bones of hands

and legs

Shoulder and hip girdles

Axial skeleton - Skull• Upper part: Brain box/Cranium which consists of

immovable bones joined with each other.• Lower part: Jaws (upper jaw and lower jaw) Upper jaw immovable and fused to the cranium.

Lower jaw is movably joined and have deep pits (sockets) for teeth.

• Large hole on the back of skull called Foramen magnum

This hole provides passage for the spinal cord which comes from brain.

Axial skeleton - Backbone

• Also called “vertebral column”• Consists of 33 small ring-like vertebrae

7

12

5

5 fused

4 fused

Axial skeleton – Ribs (The Rib Cage)• The ribs constitute a protective bony cage for the

lungs and the heart. They help in breathing by expanding and contracting the chest cavity

• 12 pairs of ribs: 1-7: true ribs(attached to vertebrae and sternum)

8-10: false ribs (attached to vertebrae and to 7th rib)

11-12: floating ribs(attached to vertebrae only )

Appendicular Skeleton – Bones of fore limb • Humerus (upper arm)

• Radius and ulna (lower arm)

• Carpals (wrist- 8 bones)

• Metacarpals (palm-5 bones)

• Phalanges (fingers – 14 bones) (3 each in fingers and 2 in thumb)

• Femur (thigh)

• Tibia and fibula (shank)

• Tarsals (ankle - 7)

• Metatarsals (middle of the foot-5)

• Phalanges (toes - 14)

Appendicular Skeleton – Bones of hind limb

• The girdles are attached to the backbone. They provide articulation (joining) to the bones of the fore limbs and hind limbs.

• Shoulder Girdle:o Collar bone (Clavicle)o Shoulder blade (Scapula)o Glenoid cavity

Appendicular Skeleton – Girdles

• Hip Girdle: (holds and supports organs like intestine)

• Structure:o joined medially to sacrumo Iliumo Pubiso Ischiumo Acetabulum

Joints

• The point at which two separate bones meet is called a joint.

Types of joints

Immovable

Partially movable

Movable joints

a) Hinge jointb) Gliding joint

c) Ball and socket jointd) Pivot joint

Type of joint Description Location in our body

Immovable joint No movement between two bones.

Cranium

Partially movable Partial movement possible. Ribs and sternum, between vertebra

Hinge joint (Movable) Movement in one plane only. (door hinges)

Elbow joint, joints of fingers and toes

Gliding joint(Movable) -- Wrist joint, ankle joint

Ball and socket joint( freely Movable)(Synovial joint)

One end is rounded ball-like and fits into cup-like depression present in other bone.

Joint between femur and hip girdle (hip joint); shoulder joint.

Pivot joint One bone rotates over pivot like end of other bone.

1st two vertebrae in the neck

A] Immovable Joints:

• No movement is possible.

• Eg. The joints between bones of the brain box.

B] Partially movable joints:

• Only very little (partial) movement occurs.

• Eg. The joint between a rib and the sternum, Joint between vertebrae.

C] Movable joints: • Varying degrees of movements are possible.

i] Hinge Joint – o This moves in one plane only, like hinge of the door.o Less danger of twisting.o Eg. Elbow joint between humerus and ulna joints between the bones of fingers and toes, the knee joint.

ii] Gliding joint – o Joints between bones of wrists and ankle, between

vertebrae.

iii] Ball and Socket joint –o One of the bone is rounded and ball-like which fits

into a cup-like depression of another bone.o Provides movement in any direction.o Eg. Shoulder joint and hip joint.

iv] Pivot joint – o One bone is rotated over a pivot-like end of another

bone.o Eg. The skull is rotated on the upper end of the

backbone.

Synovial joint

• The joints which allow considerable degree of movement (e.g. Knee joint, shoulder joint, etc.) have two special requirements –

A] they should be held firmly in position.

B] the surfaces coming in contact (i.e. two bones) should be well lubricated to remove friction.

• The lubrication is achieved by a lubricating fluid called synovial fluid and hence the joint is called synovial joint.

• Held in position by strong ligaments which prevent dislocation in normal movement.

• Protected by an outer fibrous layer.

• Synovial fluid is contained in a “sac” formed of very thin synovial membrane and this sac serves as a cushion between the bones.

Tendons• Tendons: these are in the form of tough parallel

fibres of connective tissues which join muscles to the bones. When muscles contract and relax, tendons do not allow bones to move away from their normal position.

Ligaments• Ligaments: Ligaments consist of strong and elastic

bands of connective tissues. These bands hold two or more bones together at joints. They help the bones move by contraction and relaxation.

Cartilages• Cartilages: Cartilages are found between two or

more bones. They behave as cushions to the bones and prevent them from rubbing together. Thus they act as cushions or, shock absorbing pads.

Muscles• Functions:i. Provide means of all body movements.ii. Cover the skeletal framework and also give

shape to the body.iii. Help to maintain body posture while sitting, walking, etc.

• When stimulated by a nerve, the muscle contracts to become shorter and thicker and thus, it pulls the bone at the movable end.

• Muscles can only get stretched, contract and relax, but they cannot lengthen.

• Antagonistic/opposing muscles:o A structure which has been moved by a muscle

cannot return to its original position without the action of another muscle.

o Such muscles are called antagonistic muscles.o Eg. Biceps-triceps present in the hand.

Coordination of Muscles

• Most actions involves coordination of many muscles in our body at the same time.

• Eg. Walking, running, etc.