Joints, Tendons & Ligaments · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Tendons, Ligaments, and Moving Joints

Science · Organisms & Life Processes · ages 11-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which part connects one bone to another bone?

    • Tendon
    • Ligament
    • Muscle

  2. Which part connects a muscle to a bone?

    • Tendon
    • Ligament
    • Joint

  3. A tendon connects two bones together.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. When your bicep muscle contracts to bend your elbow, what pulls on the bone to create the movement?

    • The tendon
    • The ligament at the elbow joint
    • The bone itself

  5. In your knee joint, what allows the thigh bone and shin bone to glide smoothly against each other?

    • Slippery fluid in the joint
    • A tendon wrapped around the bones
    • A muscle between the bones

  6. What is inside a synovial joint that helps the bones move against each other without grinding?

    • A slippery fluid
    • A tight ligament
    • A stretchy tendon

  7. If the tendon connecting your calf muscle to your heel bone were cut, what would happen when you tried to push up on your toes?

    • You could not push up because the joint fluid would leak out
    • You could still push up because the muscle still contracts
    • You could not push up because the muscle's pull would no longer reach the bone

  8. Priya twisted her ankle and stretched the tissue connecting her shin bone to her foot bone. Which part of her ankle was likely injured?

    • A tendon
    • A ligament
    • A muscle
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Tendons, Ligaments, and Moving Joints W1-mt_yefw2CQT4x-s1

  1. Ligament · A ligament holds two bones together at a joint. A tendon connects muscle to bone.
  2. Tendon · A tendon attaches muscle to bone. A ligament attaches bone to bone instead.
  3. False · That is a ligament's job. A tendon connects a muscle to a bone.
  4. The tendon · The muscle shortens and pulls the tendon, and the tendon pulls the bone into a new position.
  5. Slippery fluid in the joint · Synovial joints, like the knee, contain a fluid that reduces friction between the bones.
  6. A slippery fluid · Synovial fluid fills the joint space and lets the bone ends glide smoothly.
  7. You could not push up because the muscle's pull would no longer reach the bone · Without the tendon, the muscle's contraction has nothing to pull, so the force never reaches the bone and the foot cannot move.
  8. A ligament · A bone-to-bone connection is a ligament. A stretched or torn ligament is a common ankle sprain.
Worksheet · LightMySky