Which term describes bending or extending the limb outward?

• A. Extension
• B. Flexion
• C. Abduction
• D. Adduction

Answer: (A)

Movement at joints is described by how the bones change angle and position. Bending a joint decreases the angle between the bones, and that action is called flexion. Straightening or increasing the angle is called extension. If you move a limb away from the body's midline, that’s abduction; moving toward the midline is adduction. The phrase “bending or extending the limb outward” mixes two ideas—bending (flexion) and extending (extension)—and the outward direction is specifically about abduction. So, extending describes straightening to a more extended position, while bending refers to flexion, and moving away from the body is abduction.