Question

What is Joint? Explain ball and socket joint along with diagram.

Answer 1

Joint: The region at which two or more bones of skeleton come in contact and move freely is called a joint.
Ball and socket joint: In such joints, one of the bones forms a cup-like or socket-like structure whereas the other forms a ball like structure which fits in the cup. The bone having a ball or head can move freely in this joint in a number of directions. An example of such joints is shoulder and hip joints.
Such joint is also found between the glenoid cavity of the pectoral girdle and head of the humerus. A cartilaginous layer known as articular cartilage is present on the head of both the bones. The cavity present between the heads of both the bones is called synovial cavity, which is filled with synovial fluid.