What is the difference between joint and ligament?

Answer 1

Joints, or "articulations" as they are also called, are functional junctions between bones. Joints function to bind parts of the skeletal system, make bone growth possible, permit parts of the skeleton to change shape during childbirth, and enable the body to move in response to skeletal muscle contractions. With such an extensive list of responsibilities, it should be no surprise that joints vary considerably in their structure and function. However, they're usually classified by the type of tissue that binds the bones at each junction. Three general classification groups are fibrous joionts, cartilaginous joints, and synovial joints.

Most joints of the skeletal system are synovial joints, which allow free movement. Synovial joints are more complex structurally than fibrous or cartilaginous joints; they consist of articular cartilage, a joint capsule, and a synovial membrane, which secretes synovial fluid.

So where do ligaments factor in with all of this? I'm getting there! Ligaments are the bundles of strong, tough collagenous fibers that reinforce the joint capsule and help bind the articular ends of the bones. Some ligaments appear as thickenings in the fibrous layer of the capsule, whereas others are accessory structures located outside the capsule. In either case, ligaments help prevent excessive movement at the joint. That is, the ligament is relatively inelastic, and it tightens when the joint is stressed.

Answer 2

joints binds the skeletal system ad ligaments reinforce the joints to do so