Applied Anatomy and Physiology

What Applied Anatomy and Physiology covers

Applied Anatomy and Physiology is examined in Component 1, Fitness and Body Systems. It covers functions and classification of bones, bones of the skeleton and the vertebral column, joints and the movements they allow, ligaments, tendons and muscle types, voluntary muscles and antagonistic pairs, fast and slow twitch muscle fibres, the heart, circulation and blood, blood vessels and vascular shunting, breathing, lung volumes and gas exchange, aerobic and anaerobic energy release and short-term effects of exercise.

The 11 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Functions and classification of bonesHow the skeleton protects organs, anchors muscles, allows movement, makes blood cells and stores calcium and phosphorus, and long, short, flat and irregular bones in sport.Open →
• Bones of the skeleton and the vertebral columnThe cranium, clavicle, scapula, ribs and sternum, the five regions of the vertebral column, and the bones of the arm, hand, leg and foot with their roles in sport.Open →
• Joints and the movements they allowPivot, hinge, ball and socket and condyloid joints, why each allows the range it does, and flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation, circumduction, plantar-flexion and dorsi-flexion.Open →
• Ligaments, tendons and muscle typesLigaments and tendons and their roles, voluntary, involuntary and cardiac muscle, and how the skeletal and muscular systems work together.Open →
• Voluntary muscles and antagonistic pairsThe location and function of the twelve named voluntary muscles, and the antagonistic pairs at the elbow, knee, ankle and hip in sporting actions.Open →
• Fast and slow twitch muscle fibresType I, type IIa and type IIx muscle fibres, their characteristics, and which events and positions each fibre type suits.Open →
• The heart, circulation and bloodThe functions of the cardiovascular system, the chambers, septum and valves of the heart, the route of blood through it, and red and white blood cells, platelets and plasma.Open →
• Blood vessels and vascular shuntingThe structure and function of arteries, veins and capillaries, blood pressure during exercise, vasoconstriction, vasodilation and vascular shunting.Open →
• Breathing, lung volumes and gas exchangeInhaled and exhaled air, tidal volume and vital capacity, spirometer traces, the respiratory structures, and gas exchange at the alveoli and muscles.Open →
• Aerobic and anaerobic energy releaseAerobic and anaerobic energy release with their word equations, lactic acid, and the use of fats and carbohydrates as fuels in different activities.Open →
• Short-term effects of exerciseLactate accumulation and muscle fatigue, the rise in heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output with worked calculations, faster and deeper breathing, and reading heart rate graphs.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Applied Anatomy and Physiology further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Ligament vs Tendon

  Ligament: tough tissue joining one bone to another at a joint. Tendon: a tough inelastic cord attaching a muscle to a bone.

• Agonist vs Antagonist

  Agonist: the muscle that contracts to create a movement. Antagonist: the muscle that relaxes to allow a movement.

• Vasoconstriction vs Vasodilation

  Vasoconstriction: the narrowing of a blood vessel's lumen to reduce flow. Vasodilation: the widening of a blood vessel's lumen to increase flow.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   How does the skeleton protect vital organs during sport?

   Model answer

   Bones surround the vital organs and absorb the force of impacts. The ribs shield the heart and lungs when a rugby player is tackled.

2. 2

   How does the skeleton provide for muscle attachment?

   Model answer

   Bones give muscles a firm anchor, joined to them by tendons. A contracting muscle pulls on the bone and creates movement.

3. 3

   Why does the skeleton need joints for movement?

   Model answer

   Bones are rigid and cannot bend, so movement happens where they meet. Joints let a performer bend, straighten and turn the limbs to run, jump and throw.

4. 4

   Where does the skeleton produce blood cells and platelets?

   Model answer

   Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are made in the red bone marrow. Red marrow is found in flat bones such as the sternum and at the ends of long bones.

5. 5

   Why does blood cell production by the skeleton matter to an endurance runner?

   Model answer

   Red blood cells carry oxygen to the working muscles. A good supply of oxygen lets the runner keep working aerobically for longer.

6. 6

   Which two minerals does the skeleton store?

   Model answer

   The skeleton stores calcium and phosphorus.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Applied Anatomy and Physiology revision questions

What does Applied Anatomy and Physiology cover in Edexcel GCSE Physical Education?

11 subtopics: functions and classification of bones, bones of the skeleton and the vertebral column, joints and the movements they allow, ligaments, tendons and muscle types, voluntary muscles and antagonistic pairs, fast and slow twitch muscle fibres, the heart, circulation and blood, blood vessels and vascular shunting, breathing, lung volumes and gas exchange, aerobic and anaerobic energy release and short-term effects of exercise. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Applied Anatomy and Physiology organised?

By the Edexcel 1PE0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.