Gross motor skills maneuver large muscle groups coordinating functions for sitting, standing, walking, running, keeping balance and changing positions, according to Anna Maria Wilms Floet, MD, on eMedicine. Throwing a ball, riding a bike, playing sports, lifting and sitting upright are brief descriptions of large motor movements. Gross motor skills depend upon muscle tone, the contraction of muscles and their strength for positioning movements.
Fine motor skills coordinate precise, small movements involving the hands, wrists, feet, toes, lips and tongue. Features of fine motor control include handwriting, drawing, grasping objects, cutting and controlling a computer mouse. Experts agree that one of the most significant fine motor achievements is picking up a small object with the index finger and thumb referred to as the pincher grip, which usually occurs between 8 and 12 months of age.
Motor control requires awareness and planning for the execution of a task from the central nervous system to muscles. Motor skills require muscle strength, coordination and normal sensation to manage and synchronize body movements.