Lecture notes are intended to help the student organize their notes and facilitate assimilation of the material. 10.1 Skeletal muscles produce movement by exerting force on tendons, which then pull on bones.
Most muscles cross a joint and attach to the articulating bone that forms a joint.
When the muscle contracts, it pulls one of the articulating bones toward the other. In limbs, the origin is usually proximal and the insertion is usually distal. When a muscle contracts, it pulls its insertion toward its origin. Notice how the belly shortens and thickens during the contraction. The muscle is essentially triangular.