What type of movement occurs when you turn your head to say 'no'?

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

Answer: (D)

Turning the head to say no is rotation of the neck around a vertical axis. This motion mainly occurs at the atlas–axis joint (C1–C2), where the dens of the axis acts as a pivot, allowing the skull to rotate from side to side. The sternocleidomastoid and other neck muscles drive this rotation by pulling the head toward the opposite side, with additional help from surrounding muscles. Flexion and extension are nodding motions (chin to chest or tilting the head back), and abduction refers to moving away from the midline in limbs rather than turning the head. So the action described is rotation.