Which action involves moving a limb toward the center of the body?

The action that involves moving a limb toward the center of the body is adduction. In anatomical terms, adduction refers to the movement of a body part closer to the midline, which is an important concept in understanding human movement and positioning. For example, when you bring your arms closer to your body or when you close your legs together, you are performing adduction.

In contrast, abduction involves moving a limb away from the center of the body, which is the opposite of adduction. Circumduction describes a circular motion typically involving a combination of flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction, resulting in a conical movement pattern. Extension is the action of straightening a joint or increasing the angle between two body parts, which does not pertain to the directional movement towards the body’s midline. Understanding these terms and their definitions is crucial for those in the healthcare field, particularly when describing patient movements and actions during care.