Book 10, Question 9
Why Do Tendons Connect Muscle to Bone?
Tendons connect muscle to bone because a muscle needs a strong cable to pull on the skeleton! Without tendons, a muscle's squeeze would not move your bones at all. A tendon works like a power cord that passes the pull along.
More fun facts
- Tendons are very strong, unstretchy tissues that let a muscle pull on a bone to move it.
- The Achilles tendon connects your calf muscle to your heel bone.
- Ligaments connect bone to bone, while tendons connect muscle to bone.
- Ligaments, cartilage and tendons are all types of connective tissue.
- Special exercises, like standing heel raises, can help strengthen tendons and ligaments around the ankles.
Sources: BBC, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
What happens if a tendon is hurt?
The muscle cannot pull the bone properly, so moving that part becomes hard until it heals.