What is ‘insertion” in muscular system?
- In the muscular system, the insertion is the point of attachment of a muscle to the bone that moves when the muscle contracts. It is usually the more distal or movable attachment of the muscle, in contrast to the origin, which is typically the more proximal or stable attachment of the muscle.
- When a muscle contracts, it pulls on the bone it is attached to at its insertion point, causing movement at the joint it crosses. For example, the biceps muscle has its origin at the scapula bone and its insertion at the radius bone in the forearm. When the biceps muscle contracts, it pulls on the radius bone, causing flexion at the elbow joint.
- The location of the insertion point of a muscle can affect its leverage and strength. Muscles with shorter insertion points tend to have greater leverage and are stronger in producing movement. In contrast, muscles with longer insertion points may have less leverage and be weaker in producing movement, but may have greater range of motion.
- In yoga, various postures and movements can target specific muscles and their insertions, leading to improvements in strength, flexibility, and balance. For example, yoga poses that involve arm balances, such as Crow Pose or Side Crow Pose, can strengthen the muscles that attach to the arm bones and improve their insertions.