GC Anatomy & Physiology for Gyrotonic Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which anatomical plane divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) halves?
- Sagittal plane
- Frontal (coronal) plane (Correct answer)
- Transverse plane
- Oblique plane
Correct answer: Frontal (coronal) plane
The frontal (coronal) plane divides the body into anterior and posterior sections and is the plane in which lateral flexion and abduction/adduction movements occur.
Question 2: The rotator cuff, which stabilizes the glenohumeral joint during Gyrotonic upper-body work, consists of how many muscles?
- 2
- 3
- 4 (Correct answer)
- 5
Correct answer: 4
The rotator cuff is composed of four muscles — supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis — commonly remembered by the acronym SITS.
Question 3: The psoas major, a deep core muscle emphasized in Gyrotonic practice, is best known for which primary function?
- Hip extension
- Hip flexion (Correct answer)
- Knee flexion
- Lumbar extension
Correct answer: Hip flexion
The psoas major is the primary hip flexor, connecting the lumbar vertebrae to the lesser trochanter of the femur and playing a critical role in core stability and spinal alignment.
Question 4: Which sensory receptors embedded within muscle tissue are primarily responsible for detecting changes in muscle length, forming the basis of proprioception?
- Meissner's corpuscles
- Pacinian corpuscles
- Muscle spindles (Correct answer)
- Ruffini endings
Correct answer: Muscle spindles
Muscle spindles are sensory receptors located within muscle fibers that detect changes in muscle length and the rate of stretching, providing critical proprioceptive feedback to the nervous system.
Question 5: The hip joint, which is central to many Gyrotonic movements, is formed by which bones?
- Femur and tibia
- Head of the femur and acetabulum of the pelvis (Correct answer)
- Femur and ischium alone
- Femur and ilium alone
Correct answer: Head of the femur and acetabulum of the pelvis
The hip joint is formed by the head of the femur articulating within the acetabulum, a cup-shaped socket formed by the fusion of the ilium, ischium, and pubis.
Question 6: Fascia, which is increasingly recognized as important in movement practices like Gyrotonic, is best described as:
- A type of bone tissue
- A body-wide network of connective tissue surrounding muscles and organs (Correct answer)
- The outermost layer of the skin
- Cartilage located between joints
Correct answer: A body-wide network of connective tissue surrounding muscles and organs
Fascia is a continuous web of connective tissue that surrounds, supports, and interconnects muscles, bones, organs, and nerves throughout the entire body.
Question 7: The thoracic spine's range of motion in flexion and extension is more limited than other spinal regions primarily because of its articulation with which structures?
- The pelvis
- The ribs (Correct answer)
- The shoulder blades (scapulae)
- The skull
Correct answer: The ribs
The thoracic vertebrae articulate with the ribs, which form the rib cage and significantly limit flexion and extension range of motion compared to the cervical and lumbar regions.
GC Anatomy & Physiology for Gyrotonic Practice 2
Which anatomical plane divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) halves?