Foot
This article is about a foot as a biological structure. For other uses of foot, see foot (disambiguation).
The
foot is a biological structure found in many
animals that is used for
locomotion. The plural of
foot is
feet, and this pair is one of seven mutated
English plurals.
The structural quality of a foot varies from animal to animal. Many
vertebrates that have
legs also have a foot located at the end of each leg. For these animals, the foot is a complex structure of
bone,
muscle, and other
connective tissue. Among animals that have soft or padded feet, the foot is commonly called a
paw. In
mollusks, on the other hand, the foot is a purely muscular structure.
\nHuman beings use their legs and feet for
bipedal locomotion, also known as
walking. The structures of the human foot and
hand are variations on the same basic five-digit anatomy, in common with many other vertebrates. They are also the most complex, comprising half the bones in the body. The medical specialty related to treatment of the feet is
podiatry.
In many societies, it is customary to cover the foot in most social situations; particularly outside, in many cultures (including
North American,
European,
Japanese and others) people wear protective clothing over the foot. Such
footwear has special names, such as
sandals,
shoes, and
boots. Consistent wearing of footwear, particularly in hot climates or during exercise, can lead to
foot odor. If footwear is ill-fitting or badly designed, it can cause both short-term (blisters, for example) and long-term foot problems. On the other hand, carefully designed orthopedic footwear is an effective treatment for many foot, leg, and back problems.
Customs about foot covering while indoors vary significantly from place to place. For example, in much of
Canada, it is customary to remove one's shoes or boots when entering a home, while in the neighboring
United States this is rare in most parts of the country. In
Japan, the custom is so widespread that floors are often made of materials that are too soft to survive being walked on by shod feet. In cultures where shoes are rarely removed, bare feet may be considered unsightly or offensive.
Striking an object or a person with the foot is called kicking. Certain
martial arts, such as
Savate, emphasize kicking, reasoning that the foot is the only part of the body normally covered by protective clothing. On the other hand, some martial arts (including
Karate,
Judo) are customarily trained in bare feet, as well as beach sport (for example
beach volleyball). Many
sports, including
football (in all its forms, including
soccer), and
rugby, involve kicking a ball or other object with the foot.
The foot provides a convenient way to measure short distances on the ground, by placing one foot directly in front of the other; this led to the adoption of the
foot as a unit of length.
Parts of the feet:\n*
ankle\n* instep\n*
sole\n* five
toes
Disorders of the feet:\n* athlete's foot\n*
bunion\n*
callus\n*
plantar wart
See also
\n* foot fetishism\n*
foot binding\n*
footwear\n*
hosiery\n*
reflexology\n*
paw\n*
podiatry
External links
\n* http://www.acfas.org/\n* http://www.apma.org/\n* http://www.abps.org/\n* http://www.aapsm.org/\n* http://www.aofas.org/educational.asp\n* http://www.podiatrytoday.com/podtd/\n* http://www.epodiatry.com/foot_problems.htm\n* http://www.barefooters.org/\n* http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/
\n\n\n\n\nnds:Foot\nsimple:Foot\n
