Chapter 1 BODY MOVERS Every time you take a step blink your eyes or smile you can thank your muscles Muscles make you move Some movements are large You leap over a puddle You swing a bat Other movements are small You raise an eyebrow You tap your finger What do muscles make it possible for you to do 4
You can see some muscles at work Try making a muscle with your arm Can you see the muscle bulging just under your skin You can’t see other muscles in your body When you swallow muscles push food into your stomach Muscles in the stomach wall mix your food Muscles in your heart move blood through your body You can see some muscles just under your skin 5
Muscles help you do all the things you do Working with Other Systems You need your muscles for almost everything you do So it’s not surprising that you have hundreds of them All these muscles make up your muscular system The muscular system works with other body systems to keep you alive and healthy It helps you do all the things you do 6
Muscle Control You can control some muscles You can make them move just by thinking Suppose you want to pick an apple You reach out and curl your fingers around the apple You pull it down You decide you want to do this And your muscles make it happen WHEN YOU PICK AN APPLE YOU USE MUSCLES YOU CAN CONTROL 7
