Human Anatomy

Human Anatomy & Physiology:
Group 03 Muscular System

Script and Flow
INTRODUCTION:
The muscular system is responsible for the movement of the human body.
Attached to the bones of the skeletal system are about 700 named muscles that make
up roughly half of a person’s body weight.
Each time you take a step, 200 muscles work in unison to lift your foot,
propel it forward, and set it down. It’s just one of the many thousands of tasks
performed by the muscular system: this network of over 650 muscles covers the
body and is the reason we can blink, smile, run, jump, and stand upright. So
how does it work? And for that I am here to takes us to a musculalistic tour in
the Muscular system as I will introduce the parts and as well functions of each
and share lots of interesting information about the system.
DISCUSSION PROPER:
Muscle is fibrous tissue that contracts to produce movement. The human

body contains three different kinds of muscle tissue: Cardiac, Skeletal, and
Smooth.
The Cardiac Muscle

What is cardiac muscle ?
Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is a specialized type of muscle tissue

that forms and only exists in the heart. This muscle tissue perform a highly
coordinated actions that keep the heart pumping and blood circulating
throughout the body.
Cardiac muscle is highly organized and contains many types of cell,

including fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes.
And Unlike skeletal muscle tissue, such as that which is present in the
arms and legs, the movements that cardiac muscle tissue produces are
involuntary. This means that they are automatic, and that a person cannot
control them.
How is it structured?
Cardiac muscle tissue gets its strength and flexibility from its
interconnected cardiac muscle cells, or fibers.
The individual cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) is a tubular structure
composed of chains of myofibrils, which are rod-like units within the cell.
Cardiomyocytes are rectangular, branching cells that typically contain only
one centrally-located nucleus. This arrangement contrasts with skeletal muscle
cells, which often contain many nuclei. Cardiomyocytes contain many
mitochondria to produce large amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and
myoglobin to store oxygen to meet the demands of muscle contraction.
.
How does cardiac muscle tissue function?
The heart also contains specialized types of cardiac tissue containing

“pacemaker” cells. These contract and expand in response to electrical impulses
from the nervous system.
Pacemaker cells generate electrical impulses, or action potentials, that tell

cardiac muscle cells to contract and relax. The pacemaker cells control heart
rate and determine how fast the heart pumps blood.
The Skeletal Muscle

What is Skeletal Muscle?
Skeletal muscle, also called voluntary muscle, is the tissue most
commonly associated with the muscular system. The majority of the muscles in
your body are skeletal muscles. They make up between 30 to 40% of your total
body mass. This type of muscle attaches to the skeleton and moves the limbs
and body of an organism. Tendons (tough bands of connective tissue) attach
skeletal muscle tissue to bones throughout your body. Your shoulder muscles,
hamstring muscles and abdominal muscles are all examples of skeletal muscle
and they then produce all the movements of body parts in relation to each other.
Unlike cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle is under voluntary control.
Meaning you control how and when they move and work. Nerves in your
somatic nervous system send signals to make them function. Example, is if you
reach for a book on a shelf, you’re using skeletal muscles in your neck, arm and
shoulder.
What are the skeletal muscles made of?
Skeletal muscles consist of flexible muscle fibers that range from less than half
an inch to just over three inches in diameter. These fibers usually span the
length of the muscle. The fibers contract (tighten), which allows the muscles to
move bones so you can perform lots of different movements.
How are the skeletal muscles structured?

Each muscle can contain thousands of fibers. Different types of sheaths, or
coverings, surround the fibers:
Epimysium: The outermost layer of tissue surrounding the entire muscle. It is a

layer of dense irregular connective tissue which ensheaths the entire muscle
and protects muscles from friction against other muscles and bones.
Perimysium: The middle layer surrounding bundles of muscle fibers. Perimysium
plays a role in transmitting lateral contractile movements.
Endomysium: The innermost layer surrounding individual muscle fibers. is the
key element that separates single muscle fibres from one another. It allows their
autonomous gliding during muscle contraction. The endomysium is also a highly
deformable tissue that adapts itself to the changes of volume that occur during
the muscle fibre contraction.
How does it works?
Skeletal muscles enable humans to move and perform daily activities.
They play an essential role in respiratory mechanics and help in maintaining
posture and balance. They also protect the vital organs in the body.
Skeletal muscle systems are composed of striated muscle which has
distinct bands of proteins in each myofibril. When these proteins are given
energy, they slide past each other, pulling the ends of each muscle cell together.
The sarcomeres, the basic contractile unit of muscle fiber. Each
Sarcomere is composed of two main protein filaments—actin and myosin—
which are the active structures responsible for muscular contraction. The most
popular model that describes muscular contraction is called the sliding filament
theory. This can be seen in the image below.
How heavy are skeletal muscles?

Although skeletal muscles typically make up roughly 35% of your body weight,
this can vary from person to person. Men have about 36% more skeletal muscle
mass than women. People who are tall or overweight also tend to have higher
muscle mass. Muscle mass decreases with age in both men and women.
The Smooth Muscle

What is Smooth Muscle?
Smooth muscle can found throughout the body where it serves a variety
of functions.. It is in the stomach and intestines where it helps with digestion and
nutrient collection. It is found throughout the urinary system where it functions to
help rid the body of toxins and works in electrolyte balance. It is found
throughout arteries and veins where it plays a vital role in the regulation of blood
pressure and tissue oxygenation. Without these vital functions, the body would
not be able to maintain the most basic functions.
What are the smooth muscle made up of?
Smooth muscle is composed of sheets or strands of smooth muscle cells.
These cells have fibers of actin and myosin which run through the cell and are
supported by a framework of other proteins. Smooth muscle contracts under
certain stimuli as ATP is freed for use by the myosin. The amount of ATP
released depends on the intensity of the stimuli, allowing smooth muscle to have
a graded contraction as opposed to the “on-or-off” contraction of skeletal
muscle.
How does it work?
Smooth muscle differs from skeletal muscle in a variety of ways, perhaps
the most important being its ability to be contracted and controlled involuntarily.
The nervous system can use smooth muscle to tightly regulate many of the
body's subsystems for life with no thought from the user. A person does not
need to think about their blood pressure for it to adapt to increasing oxygen
demands from exercise. The nervous system instead uses hormones,
neurotransmitters, and other receptors to control smooth muscle
spontaneously.
Although the tissue cannot be voluntarily contracted like skeletal muscles,
it is controlled subconsciously. When food needs to be moved through the gut,
the muscles contract in a synchronized fashion in a wave through the digestive
system. These wave-like muscular contractions are called peristalsis.
 Peristalsis
is a series of wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive
tract. It starts in the esophagus where strong wave-like motions of the smooth
muscle move balls of swallowed food to the stomach.
Summary
Ultimately, without the muscular system present, the human body would not be
able to function. Circulation, digestion and movement are essential activities
which muscles help to regulate. They help to shape life as we know it.

Human Anatomy

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Human Anatomy & Physiology:

Group 03 Muscular System

Muscle is fibrous tissue that contracts to produce movement. The human

The Cardiac Muscle

Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is a specialized type of muscle tissue

Cardiac muscle is highly organized and contains many types of cell,

The heart also contains specialized types of cardiac tissue containing

Pacemaker cells generate electrical impulses, or action potentials, that tell

The Skeletal Muscle

How are the skeletal muscles structured?

Epimysium: The outermost layer of tissue surrounding the entire muscle. It is a

How heavy are skeletal muscles?

The Smooth Muscle

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