What does muscles work in pairs mean?

Answer 1

Skeletal muscles are arranged as opposing pairs because, although they can shorten themselves by contracting, they have to be stretched back to their former length by other muscles. An example of opposing muscles is in the arm, where the biceps and triceps have opposite actions. As one muscle shortens, the other is stretched. The biceps contracts to bend the arm at the elbow while the triceps stretches. To straighten the elbow joint, the triceps contracts, while the biceps stretches.

Answer 2

When physiologists say that muscles work in opposable pairs, they mean that muscles work in a location opposite of another muscle. For example, the bicep and tricep. These muscles are located opposite from each other and therefore work as a pair.

Answer 3

Skeletal muscles only pull in one direction. For this reason they always come in pairs. When one muscle in a pair contracts, to bend a joint for example, its counterpart then contracts and pulls in the opposite direction to straighten the joint out again. Without this arrangement you wouldn't be able to straighten your legs when you walk or bend your fingers to grip something.

When your biceps muscle in your upper arm contracts, it pulls your lower arm in towards your shoulder. However, when it relaxes, your biceps cannot push your arm back out. To do this, your triceps muscle, on the underside of your upper arm, contracts and straightens your arm out. If your triceps muscle wasn't there, your arm would stay drawn in permanently.

In other words they work stronger

Answer 4

Muscles work in pairs with one muscle contracting as the other relaxes.

A simple example is the biceps and triceps on the upper arm.

This is an antagonistic pair.

When the biceps contracts the forearm moves towards the biceps and the triceps relaxes to allow the movement. When the triceps contracts the forearm moves away from the upper arm as the biceps relaxes.

Answer 5

the answer is when one muscle contracts the other relaxes