Final answer:
Joints are classified anatomically as fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial based on their structure and as synarthroses, amphiarthroses, and diarthroses based on their function. Examples include sutures in the skull (fibrous), intervertebral discs (cartilaginous), and the knee (synovial). They allow movements such as gliding, angular, and rotational, which are essential for locomotion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anatomical Classification of Joints
The anatomical classification of joints is based on both functional and structural characteristics. Structurally, there are three types of joints: fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial joints. Fibrous joints involve bones held together by dense connective tissues and generally allow very little or no movement, such as sutures in the skull. Cartilaginous joints are united by cartilage, permitting more movement than fibrous joints, and include synchondroses and symphyses like the intervertebral discs. Lastly, synovial joints are the most mobile, containing a fluid-filled cavity; examples include the hip and knee joints.
Functionally, joints are classified as synarthroses (immoveable), amphiarthroses (slightly moveable), and diarthroses (freely moveable). Synovial joints are further categorized by the type of movement they allow, including gliding, angular, rotational, and special movements such as inversion and eversion. The structure of specific body joints dictates the movements they permit, which are vital to human locomotion and activity.
The development of body joints involves the gradual differentiation of mesenchymal tissue to form the distinct structural types of joints that allow for the varying degrees of movement observed in the mature human skeleton.