Locomotion & Movement — NEET PYQ
20 previous year questions on Locomotion & Movement for NEET Biology. Filter by year, solve each MCQ, and review detailed solutions.
Locomotion & Movement in NEET — Weightage & What Actually Gets Asked
Locomotion & Movement (NCERT Class 11 Biology, Unit "Human Physiology") is a steady scorer in NEET — about 2–3 questions most years (often 4 if you count overlap with muscle physiology). The concept pool is small and finite, so PYQs cover the large majority of what gets asked. The marks cluster around three areas: the sliding-filament mechanism, the human skeleton (bone counts and the axial/appendicular split), and joint types — plus one disorder question that asks for the cause, not just the name.
| NEET question frequency | ~2–3 questions most years (occasionally 4) |
| NCERT source | Class 11, Ch. Locomotion & Movement |
| Difficulty | Easy–Moderate; mostly direct recall + one diagram-based Q |
| Best use of time | High — finite fact pool, PYQs repeat heavily |
High-Yield Sub-Topics (most-asked first)
- Sliding-filament theory — what shortens, what stays constant. The most-repeated question in the chapter. During contraction the sarcomere shortens, the I-band (light, actin-only) shortens, and the H-zone shortens, while the A-band (dark, myosin length) stays CONSTANT and the Z-lines move closer. The filaments themselves do not shorten — they slide. "Which band remains unchanged during contraction?" → A-band is a near-guaranteed mark.
- Muscle proteins & the cross-bridge cycle. Thin filament = actin (with regulatory troponin and tropomyosin); thick filament = myosin. Ca²⁺ binds troponin → exposes actin binding sites → myosin heads form cross-bridges → power stroke (ATP-driven). Red fibres are aerobic, myoglobin-rich with many mitochondria (sustained work); white fibres are anaerobic with few mitochondria (fast, fatigue-prone).
- Human skeleton — 206 bones and the axial/appendicular split. Total 206 bones = 80 axial + 126 appendicular. Axial: skull 22 (8 cranial + 14 facial) + 6 ear ossicles + 1 hyoid + vertebral column 26 + sternum 1 + ribs 24 = 80. Appendicular: 126 (limbs + pectoral and pelvic girdles). NEET regularly asks for one of these counts or to classify a given bone as axial vs appendicular.
- Joints — match the type to its example. Fibrous (immovable, e.g. skull sutures); cartilaginous (slightly movable, e.g. between adjacent vertebrae); synovial (freely movable). Within synovial: ball-and-socket (shoulder, hip), hinge (knee, elbow), pivot (atlas–axis), gliding (between carpals/tarsals), saddle (carpal–metacarpal of thumb), condyloid. Matching the joint to its body location is a classic PYQ format.
- Disorders — know the cause, not just the name. Myasthenia gravis (autoimmune, antibodies block the ACh receptor → fatigue); muscular dystrophy (genetic, progressive degeneration); tetany (low blood Ca²⁺ → rapid spasms); gout (uric-acid crystals inflame joints); osteoporosis (low bone mass, linked to decreased oestrogen, common post-menopause); arthritis (joint inflammation). NEET typically asks for the mechanism or cause.
Common Mistakes Students Make
- Saying the A-band shortens during contraction. The A-band length is CONSTANT — it equals the myosin filament length. The I-band and H-zone shorten; the sarcomere shortens because filaments slide, not shrink.
- Confusing the bone counts: 80 axial + 126 appendicular = 206. A common mix-up is the skull total (22, of which 8 are cranial and 14 facial) and forgetting the 6 ear ossicles and 1 hyoid sit in the axial skeleton.
- Mixing up red and white muscle fibres. Red = aerobic, myoglobin- and mitochondria-rich, fatigue-resistant; white = anaerobic, few mitochondria, fast but quick to tire.
- Naming a disorder without its cause. NEET phrases it as "deficiency of Ca²⁺ causes ___" (tetany) or "autoimmune blockage of ACh receptors" (myasthenia gravis) — learn the mechanism, not just the label.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions come from Locomotion and Movement in NEET?
Usually 2–3 questions most years, occasionally 4 if muscle-physiology overlap is counted. The fact pool is small and finite, so past-year questions cover the large majority of what NEET asks — making PYQ practice unusually efficient for this chapter.
Which band does not change during muscle contraction?
The A-band stays constant — its length equals the myosin (thick) filament, which does not shorten. During contraction the I-band and H-zone shorten and the Z-lines come closer, so the whole sarcomere shortens, but the filaments slide past each other rather than shrinking. This "which band is unchanged" question appears almost every year.
How many bones are in the human body for NEET, and how are they split?
206 bones total: 80 axial (skull 22, ear ossicles 6, hyoid 1, vertebral column 26, sternum 1, ribs 24) and 126 appendicular (the two limbs plus the pectoral and pelvic girdles). Questions often give a single bone and ask you to classify it as axial or appendicular.
What are the most important topics in Locomotion and Movement for NEET?
In priority order: the sliding-filament theory (which bands shorten vs stay constant), the muscle proteins and cross-bridge cycle, the human skeleton (206 bones, axial vs appendicular), joint types matched to examples, and the locomotory disorders by cause (myasthenia gravis, tetany, gout, osteoporosis).
More Chapters in Human Physiology
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