The sites of muscle attachment include which structures?

• A. Tendons and ligaments
• B. Muscles
• C. Bones, cartilage, and connective tissue coverings
• D. Blood vessels

Answer: (C)

Muscle contraction works by pulling on structures that anchor the muscle, so attachment sites include bones, cartilage, and the connective tissue coverings that surround and connect these tissues. Most muscles attach to bone via tendons, which are strong bands of connective tissue that transfer the force to the skeleton. Some muscles attach directly to cartilage, helping move joints that involve cartilaginous elements. Others anchor into connective tissue coverings like fascia or the periosteum around bones, providing additional anchoring points. Blood vessels simply supply the muscle and are not attachment sites, and ligaments connect bone to bone rather than muscle to bone. So the structures serving as muscle attachments are bones, cartilage, and the related connective tissue coverings.