Intro to Kinesiology Final Exam - CKnight

Evidence-Based practice

Using research studies to decide which treatments or methods work best, based on real data measured outcomes

Profession

A career that requires specialized education, training, skills, and ethical standards

System

A group of related parts that work together. In this class, it refers to body systems like the cardiovascular or nervous system

Hippocrates

An ancient physician known as the “Father of Medicine,” who recognized the importance of exercise and nutrition for health

Subdisciplines of Exercise Science

The major areas within exercise science, such as biomechanices, exercise physiology, clinical exercise physiology, sports medicine, motor behavior, and sports psychology

Applied physiology

The study of how organs, tissues, and cells respond to stressors like exercise, environment, disease, aging or inactivity.

Horizontal integration

How different body systems (like the heart, muscles, and nervous system) work together during activity

Vertical integration

Studying the body at different levels: molecules → cells → tissues → organs → whole systems.

Function and main components: Circulatory system

Function: Moves blood, nutrients, gases, and wastes through the body

Main Components: Heart, blood, blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries)

Function and Main Components: Respiratory System

Function: Brings oxygen into the body and removes carbon dioxide

Main Components: Lungs, trachea, bronchi, diaphragm, nasal passages

Function and Main Components: Digestive System

Function: Breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and removes solid waste

Main Components: Mouth esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas

Function and Main Components: Nervous System

Function: Sends and receives signals; controls actions, thoughts, and responses.

Main Components: Brain, spinal cord, nerves

Function and Main Components: Muscular System

Function: Provides movement, maintains posture, and produces heat

Main Components: Skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, cardiac muscle.

Function and Main Components: Skeletal System

Function: Supports the body, protects organs, makes blood cells, enables movement

Main Components: Bones, joints, cartilage, ligaments

Function and Main Components: Endocrine System

Function: Regulates body processes using hormones

Main Components: Pituitary gland, thyroid pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries/testes

Function and Main Components: Immune/Lymphatic System

Function: Protects the body from disease and returns fluid to the bloodstream.

Main Components: Lymph nodes, lymph vessels, spleen, thymus, white blood cells

Function and Main Components: Excretory/Urinary System

Function: Removes liquid waste and maintains water/salt balance

Main Components: Kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra

Function and Main Components: Integumentary System

Function: Protects the body, keeps moisture in, helps regulate temperature

Main Components: Skin, hair, nails, sweat glands

Function and Main Components: Reproductive System

Function: Produces sex cells and allows reproduction

Main Components:

• Male: Testes, penis, prostate

• Female: Ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes.

Function and Main Components: Immune System

Function: Fights pathogens and prevents illness

Main Components: White blood cells, antibodies, spleen, thymus, bone marrow.

Adaptation

Changes the body makes in response to stress like exercise, inactivity, aging, or disease

Discipline

A field of study that builds organized knowledge to explain and predict thins in its area of focues

Newton’s Law of Reaction

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

Center of Mass

The point where your weight is balanced. It changes depending on your body position.

Economy/ Efficiency (Running Economy)

How much energy or effort it takes to perform movement; better economy means less energy use

Eadweard Muybridge

A pioneer in motion photography who helped describe human movement using early motion capture

Impact Peak (Walking/Running)

The spike in ground force when your foot first hits the ground. Heel strikers usually have higher impact peaks than mid-foot runners

Mechanical Stability

The ability to maintain balance and control during movement or when disturbed

Planes of Motion

sagittal (forward/backward), frontal (side-to-side), and transverse (rotational) planes

Significance of Glutes in Bipedal Walking

The glutes help keep the trunk upright, control leg swing, and stabilize the hip during walking and running

Vertical Ground Reaction Forces (vGRF)

The upward force from the ground during walking or running. Follows Newton’s law of reaction.

Biomechanics

The study of human movements using physics and engineering principles

Ergonomics

Applying biomechanics to design safer and more efficient workplaces, tools, or tasks

Kinematics

Describing movement by measuring position, speed and acceleration — without considering forces

Kinetics

The study of the forces that cause movement

Motion Capture

Using cameras and technology to record and measure movement in 2D or 3D

Basic kinematic variables describing strides

Measures used to describe walking or running, including stride frequency (how often strides occur), stride length (distance per stride), and stance time (time the foot is on the ground)

Center of Pressure (COP)

The point on the ground where the total force from the body is applied during standing or movement

Force Plate

A device that measures forces between the body and the ground, often used in gait and balance research

Newton’s Laws

Three laws that explain how forces affect motion

Newton’s Law of Acceleration

Force equals mass times acceleration (F = m x a); more force causes more acceleration

Newton’s Law of Inertia

An object stays at rest or moving unless acted on by a force

Body Mass vs Body Weight

Mass is how much matte ryou have; weight is the force of gravity acting on that mass

Transverse Plane

Divides the body into upper and lower halves; involves rotation

Flexion and Extension

Flexion decreases joint angle (bending); extension increases joint angle (straightening)

Frontal Plane

Divides the body into front and back halves; involves side-to-side movement

Isokinetic & Isokinetic Dynamometer

Isokinetic means movement at a constant speed; a dynamometer measures force during that movement

Isotonic

Muscle contraction where the muscle changes length while lifting a constant load

Medial and Lateral

Medial means towards the midline of the body; lateral means away from it

Ligament

Connects bone to bone and stabilizes joints

Anterior and Posterior

Anterior means toward the front; posterior means toward the back

Proximal and Distal

Proximal means closer to the trunk; distal means farther away

Sagittal Plane

Divides the body into left and right halves; involves forward and backward motion

Soft Tissues

Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue

Tendon

Connects muscle to bone

Three Types of Muscle Contraction

Concentric (shortening), eccentric (lengthening), and isometric (no length change)

Uniarticular vs. Biarticular Muscle

Uniarticular crosses one joint; biarticular crosses two joints

Upper and Lower Extremity

Upper extremity includes arms; lower ex

Biarticular Muscle

A muscle that crosses and affects two joints

PubMed & PMID

PubMed is an online database of scientific articles; a PMID is the unique ID number for each article

In Vitro

Research done outside a living organism, usually in a lab dish or test tube

In Vivo

Research done in a living organism, such as humans or animals

Epidemiological

The study of patterns,causes, and effects of health and disease in populations

Basic Science/Applied Science

Basic science focuses on understanding mechanisms; applied science uses that knowledge to solve real-world probelsm

Clinical Research

Research involving human participants to study health, disease, or treatments

Cross-Sectional Study

A study that looks at a group at one point in time

Experimental Study

A study where the researcher manipulates a variable to see its effect

Longitudinal Study

A study that follow participants over a long period of time

Mechanistic Study

Research that focuses on how or why something happens

Observational Study (Descriptive)

Researchers observe outcomes without changing variables

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

Participants are randomly assigned to groups to test cause-and-effect relationships

The Nature of Evidence

How strong, reliable, and valid research findings are

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated by the researcher

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured as the outcome

Resting Muscle Twitch

A single, brief muscle contraction in response to one nerve signal

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter that signals muscles to contract

Actin and Myosin

Proteins that slide past each other to cause muscle contraction

Cross-Bridge & Cross-Bridge Cycling

Myosin heads binding to actin to produce force repeatedly

Force-Velocity Relationship

Muscle force decreases as contraction speed increases

Force-Length Relationship

Muscle force depends on muscle length at the time of contraction

Multinucleated

A muscle fiber having more than one nucleus

Muscle Biopsy

Removal of a small muscle sample for analysis

Muscle Fiber

A single muscle cell

Myo/Myocyte

Myo = muscle

Cyte = cell

Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) Isoform

A protein that helps determine muscle fiber type and speed

Organelle

A specialized structure inside a cell that performs a specific function

Sarcolemma

The membrane surrounding a muscle fiber

Sacromere

The basic functional unit of muscle contraction

Steps of Muscle Contraction

Action potential → calcium release → cross-bridge formation → contraction → relaxation

Troponin/Tropomyosin

Proteins that regulate actin-myosin interaction

Z-Line/Z-Disk

Boundaries of a sacromere

Fascicle

A bundle of muscle fibers

Myofibril

Threadlike structures inside muscle fibers containing sacromeres

Rigor Mortis

Muscle stiffness after death due to lack of ATP

Neuromuscular Junction

The connection between a motor neuron and muscle fiber

Neurotransmitter

A chemical that transmits signals between neurons or from neuron to muscle

“Bonking”/”Hitting the Wall” (Low Blood Glucose)

A sudden drop in energy during long exercise caused by depleted glycogen stores

Adipocyte

A fat cell that stores energy as fat

Aerobic

Energy production that requires oxygen

Anaerobic

Energy production that does not require oxygen