ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kinematic chain

Imagine playing with a long chain of blocks, where each block is connected to the previous one. When you move one block, it makes the rest of the chain move too. This is called a kinematic chain.

In the human body, our bones are connected to each other in a similar way. Our joints act like the blocks in the chain and the muscles are the ones that move them. When a muscle contracts or shortens, it pulls on the bones and creates movement.

For example, when you lift your arm, your bicep muscle pulls on the bone in your upper arm, which pulls on the bones in your shoulder and makes your arm move. This is an example of a simple kinematic chain.

However, our bodies have many complex kinematic chains. For example, our legs have many interconnected bones, muscles, and joints that work together to allow us to walk, run, and jump.

Understanding kinematic chains is important in fields such as biomechanics, robotics, and sports science, as it helps us to understand how movement is created and how we can improve it.