Chicken Dissection

Muscles, tendons, and bones all cooperate together to conduct movement. Tendons are what attach bones to muscles. When a muscle contracts it pulls on the tendon which then causes the bone to move. For example when the brachioradialis contracts it pulls of the forearm tendon which then moves the radius.

Tendons tend to be wider where they attach to the bone at the origin, but they are and narrower where they attach to moveable bone at insertion.

Similarities and differences of muscles between humans and chickens: Gastrocniemius, attaches to achilles tendon in both species, but runs down hock in birds and heel in humans. Sartorius in chickens runs down the front edge of thigh while it runs across the front of the thigh in humans, for both it flexes the thigh. Deltoid is the shoulder muscle in both and raises the arm/wing.

Pulls arm laterally               Pulls shoulder down and forward

Extends arm                  Shrugs and pulls shoulders back

Assists in raising arm                            Flexes arm

Extends arm                               connects bone to muscle

Flexes the hand                                 Pulls hand back

Extends thigh and flexes leg                    Flexes the thigh

Flexes the leg                      Extends the thigh

Extends foot and flexes lower leg                Flexes the foot

Extends the foot