MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -While the agonist contracts causing the movement to occur, the antagonist typically relaxes so as not to impede the agonist, as seen in the image above. The antagonist doesn’t always relax though, another function of antagonist muscles can be to slow down or stop a movement.

Detailed explanation-2: -Muscles that work like this are called antagonistic pairs. In an antagonistic muscle pair as one muscle contracts the other muscle relaxes or lengthens. The muscle that is contracting is called the agonist and the muscle that is relaxing or lengthening is called the antagonist.

Detailed explanation-3: -Answer and Explanation: All skeletal muscles can only pull attached bones; therefore, all muscles must be part of an antagonistic pair. Muscle contraction causes the attached bone to be pulled in its direction. Contraction, however, does not push bones in the opposite direction.

Detailed explanation-4: -Agonist vs Antagonist Muscles The agonist muscle initiates the movement of the body during contraction by pulling on the bones to cause flexion or extension. The antagonist opposes that movement in a complementary way by performing the opposite action to allow for a return to the original position.