New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tendon

A tendon (or sinew) is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone, or muscle to muscle and is designed to withstand tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments except that ligaments join one bone to another. Tendons and muscles work together and can only exert a pulling force. Most of the strength of tendon is due to the vertical, hierarchical arrangement of densely-packed collagen fibrils. Tendon length varies in all major groups and from monkey to person. Tendon length is practically the discerning factor where muscle size and potential muscle size is concerned. For example, a man with a 1 centimetre biceps tendon will have greater potential for muscle mass than a man with a longer tendon. Bodybuilders will generally have short tendons and are said to have 'great genetics', however not all bodybuilders are blessed with short tendons.

Related Stories
 


Health & Medicine News

December 12, 2025

Emerging evidence hints that daily multivitamins might quietly help certain older adults keep their blood pressure in check—especially those with poorer diets and normal readings at the start. While the overall results showed no broad benefit, ...
A sweeping review of more than 2,500 studies reveals that despite booming public enthusiasm, cannabis has strong scientific support for only a few medical uses, leaving most popular claims—like relief for chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia—on ...
Scientists have uncovered a surprising link between dark chocolate and slower aging. A natural cocoa compound called theobromine was found in higher levels among people who appeared biologically younger than their real ...
Researchers discovered that nerve injuries can alter the immune system throughout the body, and males and females react very differently. Male mice showed strong inflammatory responses, while females showed none, yet both transmitted pain-inducing ...
Long COVID still affects people worldwide with stubborn symptoms like fatigue and cognitive issues. A clinical trial tested whether boosting NAD+ using nicotinamide riboside could help. Although overall group differences were limited, many ...
Rats with naturally high stress levels were far more likely to self-administer cannabis when given access. Behavioral testing showed that baseline stress hormones were the strongest predictor of cannabis-seeking behavior. Lower cognitive flexibility ...
Researchers found that both how often and how much someone drinks significantly shape their cancer risk, even at moderate levels. Vulnerability varies across groups, with genetics, socioeconomic status, obesity, and lifestyle behaviors amplifying ...
Scientists discovered that the protein RPA plays a critical and previously unconfirmed role in stimulating telomerase to maintain long, healthy telomeres. When RPA malfunctions, telomeres can shorten dangerously, leading to serious ...
A cutting-edge therapy using base-edited immune cells is offering a major breakthrough for patients with one of the toughest forms of blood cancer, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. By precisely rewriting tiny sections of DNA, scientists at UCL ...
Northwestern scientists have created the fastest-ever hepatitis C diagnostic, delivering accurate results in only 15 minutes. The test uses the DASH rapid PCR system, originally developed for COVID, but adapted for whole blood samples. Independent ...
Scientists discovered that certain cancer cells use a low-level activation of a DNA-dismantling enzyme—normally seen in cell death—to survive treatment. Instead of dying, these “persister cells” leverage this sublethal signal to regrow. ...
Obesity accelerates the rise of Alzheimer’s-related blood biomarkers far more rapidly than previously recognized. Long-term imaging and plasma data show that obese individuals experience much faster increases in proteins linked to ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET