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Muscle Types
Skeletal and smooth muscle cells are elongated (muscle cell = muscle fiber)
Contraction and shortening of muscles are due to the movement of
microfilaments
All muscles share some terminology
o Prefixes myo- and mys- refer to “muscle”
o Prefix sarco- refers to “flesh”
Muscle Types
Skeletal muscle
o Most skeletal muscle fibers are attached by tendons to bones
o Skeletal muscle cells are large, cigar-shaped, and multinucleate
o Also known as striated muscle because of its obvious stripes
o Also known as voluntary muscle because it is the only muscle tissue subject
to conscious control
Muscle Types
Skeletal muscle cells are surrounded and bundled by connective tissue
o Endomysium—encloses a single muscle fiber
o Perimysium—wraps around a fascicle (bundle) of muscle fibers
o Epimysium—covers the entire skeletal muscle
o Fascia—on the outside of the epimysium
Muscle Types
The epimysium of skeletal muscle blends into a connective tissue attachment
o Tendons—cordlike structures
Mostly collagen fibers
Often cross a joint because of their toughness and small size
o Aponeuroses—sheetlike structures
Attach muscles indirectly to bones, cartilages, or connective tissue coverings
Muscle Types
Cardiac muscle
o Striations
o Involuntary
o Found only in the walls of the heart
o Uninucleate
o Branching cells joined by gap junctions called intercalated discs
o Contracts at a steady rate set by pacemaker
Muscle Functions
Whereas all muscle types produce movement, skeletal muscle has three other
important roles:
o Maintain posture and body position
o Stabilize joints
o Generate heat
Muscle Tone
Muscle tone
o State of continuous partial contractions
o Result of different motor units being stimulated in a systematic way
o Muscle remains firm, healthy, and constantly ready for action
Special Movements
Dorsiflexion
o Lifting the foot so that the superior surface approaches the shin (toward the
dorsum)
Plantar flexion
o Pointing the toes away from the head
Special Movements
Inversion
o Turning sole of foot medially
Eversion
o Turning sole of foot laterally
Special Movements
Supination
o Forearm rotates laterally so palm faces anteriorly
o Radius and ulna are parallel
Pronation
o Forearm rotates medially so palm faces posteriorly
Special Movements
Opposition
o Moving the thumb to touch the tips of other fingers on the same hand