Fold and un-fold in Movements in Animals – Class 6 Science Experiment

Chapter Name: Movements in Animals

Activity Name: Fold and un-fold in Movements in Animals

Activity Description:

Required Items:

1. None

Step by Step Procedure:

1. Position your hand with the palm facing downwards, as shown in Fig. 2(b).
2. Fold and unfold each finger of the hand, one by one.
3. While performing the finger movements, observe the back of your palm between the fingers and the wrist.
4. Take note of the muscles that are visibly moving during each finger’s opening and closing.
5. Now, hold your hand with the palm facing upwards, as shown in Fig. 2(a).
6. Repeat the process of folding and unfolding each finger, one by one.
7. This time, observe the moving muscles between the wrist and elbow.
8. Identify the different muscles involved in the finger movements.
9. As an additional step, try to open and fold your fingers without moving the muscles identified in step 8.
10. Note your observations and determine if it is possible to perform the finger movements without engaging those muscles.

Experiment Observations:

1. When folding and unfolding the fingers with the palm facing downwards, you will notice specific muscles moving between the fingers and the wrist.
2. When folding and unfolding the fingers with the palm facing upwards, you will observe different muscles moving between the wrist and elbow.
3. It may be challenging to open and fold your fingers without engaging the identified muscles. Most likely, it will not be possible to perform the movements without involving these muscles.

Precautions:

1. Be gentle while folding and unfolding your fingers to avoid any strain or injury.
2. Observe your hand carefully to avoid mistakenly identifying other non-moving structures as muscles.

Lesson Learnt from Experiment:

1. The experiment helps in understanding that finger movements involve the coordinated action of various muscles.
2. Different hand positions require the engagement of different muscles for finger movements.
3. Attempting to open and fold fingers without involving the necessary muscles is likely to be difficult or impossible.
4. This experiment highlights the complexity and precision of muscle movements in our bodies during simple actions like folding and unfolding fingers.