Peregrine Falcon Book

PEREGRINE FALCON

Samuel DelkSamuel Delk Friday, October 3, 2014 at 11:42:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time 70:cd:60:8b:a7:90

SKELETAL SYSTEM∏

Samuel Delk Friday, October 3, 2014 at 11:42:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time 70:cd:60:8b:a7:90

The skeletal system of the Peregrine Falcon is made for speed. This bird is the fastest animal in the world, making the study of its anatomy very interesting.

Main Functions:

I. The skeletal system is vital for protecting important organs.

II. The structure of the Peregrine’s bones is very aerodynamic, allowing the bird to glide through the air with ease. The wings are a good example, as they are pointed, allowing for less drag.

III. The Peregrine, along with all birds, have hollow bones; allowing for easy flight. If their bones were more dense, flight would be much harder.

IV. Birds in general have more vertebrae in their neck’s allowing them to turn their head almost all the way around.

V. Mobility is important for falcons when flying at high speeds. Their skeletal structure enables them to maneuver very quickly through the air.

Functions of different parts:

I. Cartilage- It’s not as hard as bone, but is still stiff.

II. Ligaments- Connect bone to bone.

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The Skeletal System


III. Tendons- Connect bone to muscle

IV. The bones of a falcon’s and other birds separate them from other animals more than any other part. All bones are very thin, if not hollow, making them very light.

V. A bird’s spine is also unique, as it has more vertebrae than most animals. This extra vertebrae allow birds to turn their head all the way around.

VI. The beak of a bird is not made from bone, but instead a very light cartilage-type material.

Parts of a bone:

I. The outer surface of a bone is called the periosteum. This is where nerves and blood cells reside and give nutrients to the bones.

II. The hardest and strongest part of a bone is called the compact bone.

III. Spongy bone is still very strong, but it’s much lighter than compact bone. It’s called spongy bone because of the spaces in between.

IV. Inside the spongy bone is the marrow. Red blood cells are formed in red marrow.

Joints:

I.The joints in the wings, are restricted to only move in one way.

Birds were created this way so that the wing doesn’t bend the wrong way when trying to fly.

3Samuel Delk Friday, October 3, 2014 at 11:42:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time 70:cd:60:8b:a7:90

II. The elbow joints of a bird are linked to the wings, so that when one moves, the other does automatically. This puts less strain on a bird when flying.

III. On the very inside of the bones, hollow spaces are filled by a jelly-like substance called bone marrow.

Parts of a Skeleton:

I. Axial- central axis bones

II. Pectoral- bones of the fore limbs

III. Pelvic- bones of the hind limbs

4Samuel Delk Friday, October 3, 2014 at 11:42:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time 70:cd:60:8b:a7:90

MUSCULAR SYSTEM∏

Samuel Delk Monday, September 29, 2014 at 11:01:24 AM Pacific Daylight Time 70:cd:60:8b:a7:90


VOCABULARY

• Abduction- Movement away from the medial plane.

• Adduction- Movement towards the medial plane.

• Agonist- Prime mover of a joint.

• Antagonist-Opposes movement of the agonist.

• Ambulation- Moving from one place to another.

• Extension- Increasing angle between body parts.

• Flexion- Decreasing angle between body parts.

• Synergist- Muscle that indirectly aids the agonist; add extra force.

• Sarcomere- The most basic unit of a muscle (fiber).

MUSCULAR SYSTEM∏

• Cardiac

• Function: Pumps blood through vessels; involuntary

• Location: The heart

• Appearance: Branching, chains of cells; striated

• Skeletal

• Function: Allows for all voluntary movement

• Location: Attached to bone

• Appearance: Striated, long & cylindrical

• Smooth

• Function: Responsible for all other involuntary movement like breathing, digestion, peristalis, blinking etc.

• Location: Lines hollow organs and blood vessels

• Appearance: No striations, single cells

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Types of Muscle


• The agonist of a joint is the prime mover. It’s is the primary force to create movement.

• The antagonist works in opposition to the agonist. It provides resistance.

• For example, the bicep is the agonist of the elbow- the primary force. The tricep is the antagonist of the bicep, because it works against it.

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Muscle Function


Sarcomeres

• Actin: Thin filament

• Myosin: Thick filament

• Myosin will bind to actin creating bridges that shorten, causing the muscle to contract.

• In order for myosin to release from actin, it uses one molecule of ATP.

• Essentially, it takes energy to relax.

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Muscle cell

• Major Muscles

• Masseter: superficial muscle of the cheek

• Pectorals: primary adductors of the forelimbs

• Triceps brachii: primary extensor of the elbow joint

• Biceps brachii: primary flexor of the elbow joint

• Trapezius: superficial triangular muscle of the shoulder

• Latissimus Dorsi: long, superficial, dorsal muscle that attaches to the

humerus to the lumbar region of the back.

• Abdominal obliques: large flat muscles that support digestive and

reproductive organs

• Gluteals: large muscle of the hind quarters

• Biceps femoris: lateral superficial muscle, one of 3 which form the

hamstrings

Samuel Delk Monday, September 29, 2014 at 11:01:42 AM Pacific Daylight Time 70:cd:60:8b:a7:90


http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall99Projects/falcon.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_anatomy

http://www2.unil.ch/biomapper/opengl/BirdFlight.html

http://takethemoment.org/?p=146

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Works Cited:










Peregrine Falcon Book

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