Bridging Mind and Muscle

Zhao, et al. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2017.

Go ahead and flex your bicep. Even though that seemed simple, there’s an incredibly complex mechanism behind all your movements, involving the corporation of all of your muscles and your central nervous system. This image shows a spot where the muscular system and the central nervous system meet. When you thought about flexing your arm, nerves (pictured in green) carried the message to your arm to these receptors (pictured in yellow). Then the muscle fibers made their move.

About the Author

Michael W. Richardson

Michael W. Richardson is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York, covering topics ranging from the brain and behavior to the environment.