Which pairing correctly describes tendon function?

Which pairing correctly describes tendon function?

• A. Muscle and bone
• B. Bone and bone
• C. Muscle and muscle
• D. Tendons and bones

Answer: (A)

Tendons are the connectors that attach skeletal muscle to bone, so the force generated by a contracting muscle is transmitted to the skeleton to produce movement. When a muscle shortens, its tendon pulls on the bone it’s attached to, creating the lever action that moves a joint. Tendons are made largely of collagen, giving them high tensile strength so they can withstand the pulling forces without stretching too much. This is different from ligaments, which connect bone to bone and help stabilize joints rather than move them. So the meaningful pairing describing tendon function is muscle to bone—the tendon’s job is to link a muscle to its moving lever, the bone.

Tendons are the connectors that attach skeletal muscle to bone, so the force generated by a contracting muscle is transmitted to the skeleton to produce movement. When a muscle shortens, its tendon pulls on the bone it’s attached to, creating the lever action that moves a joint. Tendons are made largely of collagen, giving them high tensile strength so they can withstand the pulling forces without stretching too much.

This is different from ligaments, which connect bone to bone and help stabilize joints rather than move them. So the meaningful pairing describing tendon function is muscle to bone—the tendon’s job is to link a muscle to its moving lever, the bone.