Muscular System of the Animal

Kingdom
 Muscular System
 composed of muscle tissue
 Functions:
 Movement of the body
 Muscular tissue is the driving force, the power behind movement
in most invertebrates and vertebrates.
 Maintenance of posture
 Skeletal muscles constantly maintain tone, which keeps us sitting
or standing erect
 Respiration
 Production of body heat
 When skeletal muscles contract, heat is given off as a by-product
 Communication
 Constriction of organs and blood vessels
 Contraction of the heart
 Muscular System of Invertebrates

 Locomotion in invertebrates
 Pedal locomotion
 Looping movement
 Water-vascular system
 Terrestrial Locomotion in Invertebrates
 Walking
 Flight
 Jumping
 Pedal locomotion
 the movement by which waves of activity in the
muscular system that are applied to the substrate.
 exhibited by:
 flatworms
 some cnidarians
 gastropod mollusks (snails and slugs)
 earthworms
 This can be easily observed with the movement of a
snail. When observed on a glass plate, several
waves cross the length of the foot simultaneously,
each moving in the same direction as the
locomotion of the snail but in a greater rate.

 Note: Many large flatworms and specially

earthworms, exhibit muscular component to their
locomotion. In this type of movement, alternating
waves of contraction of circular and longitudinal
muscles generate peristaltic waves, which enhance
the locomotion that the surface cilia also provide.
 Looping movement
 exhibited by
 Leeches
 some insect larvae (caterpillar)

 Leeches have anterior and posterior suckers

provide alternating temporary points of
attachment. Caterpillars exhibit similar
locomotion, in which arching movements are
equivalent to contraction of longitudinal
muscles
 Water vascular system
 provides a unique means of locomotion to echinoderms
 Each water-vascular canal of echinoderms has reservoir ampullae and
tube feet.
 Contraction of the muscles comprising the ampullae drives water into
the tube feet, whereas contraction of the tube feet drives water into
the ampullae. Thus, the tube feet extended by hydraulic pressure and
can perform simple, step-like motions. This is typically observed in sea
stars.
 Terrestrial locomotion in invertebrates: Walking

 Invertebrates (terrestrial arthropods) living in/on terrestrial environments

are much denser than the air in which they live. As a result, they require
structural support, and those that move quickly make use of rigid
skeletal elements that interact with the ground.
 These elements include flexible joints, tendons, and muscles that attach
to a rigid cuticle and form limbs
 The walking limbs of the most highly evolved arthropods (Crustacea,
Myriapoda and Hexapoda) are uniform in structure
 The limbs are composed of a series of jointed
elements that become progressively less toward the
tip. These limb joints allow extension (a motion that
increases the angle of a joint) and flexion (a motion
that decreases the angle of a joint) of the limb

 Most arthropods walk forward, rotating the basal joint

of the limb relative to the body, but crabs walk in a
sideway fashion
 Terrestrial locomotion in invertebrates: Flight

 The basic mechanism of flight has been modified

 Consequently, present-day insects exhibit a wide range of
structural adaptations and mechanisms for flight
Terrestrial locomotion in invertebrates: Jumping

 Some insects (fleas and grasshoppers) can jump.

 To jump, an insect must exert a force against the ground sufficient
to impart a take-off velocity greater than its weight
 Long legs increase the mechanical advantage of the extensor
muscles. This is why insects that jump have relatively long legs.
Physiological Properties of Muscles
 Contractility
 the ability to contract or shorten with force
 Excitability (Irritability)
 the capacity to receive and respond to stimulus
 Extensibility
 the ability to be stretched
 Elasticity
 the ability to return to its original shape after being
stretched or contracted
 Types of Muscle Tissue
Skeletal Muscle Cardiac Muscle Smooth Muscle
Attached to bone Heart Walls or hollow
Location (skeletal system) organs, blood
vessels, or glands
Cell shape Long, cylindrical Branched Spindle-shaped
Multiple, peripheral Usually single, Single, central
Nucleus
central
Intercalated disks Cell-to-cell
Special Features
attachments
Striations Yes (striated) Yes (striated) No (unstriated)

Autorhythmic No Yes Yes

Control Voluntary Involuntary Involuntary

Move the whole Contract heart to Compress organs,
Function body propel blood ducts, tubes, and so
through the body on
Types of Muscle Tissue
Types of Muscle Tissue
SKELETAL MUSCLE STRUCTURE
Structure and Organizational Levels of
Skeletal Muscle
Connective Tissue covering of a Muscle

 Epimysium (muscular fascia)

 connective tissue that surrounds the entire muscle

 Perimysium
 connective tissue that surrounds a fascicle
 Fascicle – A bundle of muscle cells (fibers) bound
together by connective tissue to form a function unit.

 Endomysium
 connective tissue that surrounds an individual muscle fiber
 Muscle fiber (muscle cell)-a single cylindrical fiber, with
several nuclei located at its periphery
Connective Tissue covering of a Muscle
 Muscle fiber Structure
 Sarcolemma- the cell membrane of the muscle fiber; where the
multiple nuclei of the muscle fiber are deeply located
 Sarcoplasmic reticulum- highly organized endoplasmic reticulum of
the muscle fiber
 Transverse tubules or T-tubules
 tubelike invaginations along the surface of the sarcolemma which occur at
regular intervals along the muscle fiber and extend inward into it.
 The T-tubules connect the sarcolemma to sarcoplasmic reticulum
 Sarcoplasm- the cytoplasm of the muscle fiber
 Myofibrils
 a cylindrical bundle of contractile myofilaments within the sarcoplasm of the
muscle fiber or cell; extend from one end of the muscle fiber to the other
 consist of two major kinds of myofilaments (protein fibers):
 actin myofilaments- thin
 myosin myofilaments- thick
 Note: Myofilaments are individual contractile proteins that make up the
myofibril
Muscle fiber Structure
 Actin myofilament
 or thin filaments, resemble two minute strands of pearls twisted
together to have attachment sites for the myosin myofilaments
 are made up of three components:
 actin strand
 troponin
 attached at specific intervals along the actin myofilaments and has
binding sites for Ca2+
 tropomyosin-
 located along the groove between the twisted strands of actin myofilament
subunits; block the myosin myofilament binding sites on the actin
myofilaments in an unstimulated muscle
 In other words, if no Ca2+ is present,
the troposmyosin filaments cover the
attachment sites on the actin
myofilament. However, when Ca2+ is
present, they bind to troponin, which
causes the tropomyosin filaments to
expose the attachment sites on the
actin myofilaments
 Myosin myofilament
 or thick myofilaments, resemble bundles of minute golf
clubs. The parts of the myosin molecule that resemble golf
club heads are referred to as myosin heads.
 The myosin heads have three important properties:
 the heads can bind to attachment sites on the actin myofilaments
 they can bend and straighten during contraction
 they can break down ATP, releasing energy
 The Sarcomere
 the basic structural and functional unit of skeletal muscle fiber
 extends form one Z disk to another Z disk
 Z-disk is a network of protein fibers forming an attachment site for actin
myofilaments
 composed mainly of actin and myosin myofilaments
 the arrangement of actin and myosin myofilaments in sarcomere gives
the myofibril a banded appearance
 Regions within sarcomeres:
 I band- light band which consists only of actin myofilaments, spans each Z
disk and ends at the myosin myofilaments
 A band- dark, central region in each sarcomere, extends the length of the
myosin myofilaments; the actin and myosin myofilaments overlap for some
distance at both ends of the A band
 H zone- located at the center of each sarcomere which consists only of
myosin myofilaments
 M line- dark-staining band where the myosin myofilaments are anchored or
held in place; located at the center of H zone
The Sarcomere
The Sarcomere
 The Sarcomere
 The alternating I bands
and A bands of the
sarcomeres are
responsible for the
striations in skeletal
muscle fibers observed
through the microscope.
 Muscle Contraction
 Contraction of skeletal muscle tissue occurs as actin and myosin
myofilaments slide past one another, causing sarcomeres to shorten

 Sliding Filament Model of Muscle Contraction- the sliding of actin

myofilaments past myosin myofilaments during contraction.
 Muscle
Contraction
 During contraction, actin
myofilaments at each end of the
sarcomere slide past the myosin
filaments toward each other. As
a result, Z disks are brought
closed together, and the
sarcomere shortens.
 Actin and myosin myofilaments
in a relaxed muscle and a
contracted muscle are the same
length. Myofilaments do not
change length during muscle
contraction.
 Therefore, neither the
actin nor the myosin
fibers shorten during
muscle contraction.
 Muscle
Contraction
 As the actin myofilaments slide over
the myosin myofilaments, the H
zones and the I bands narrow.
The A band, which are equal to the
length of the myosin myofilaments,
do not narrow, because the length of
the myosin myofilaments does not
change.
 The H zones and I bands shorten
during contraction, but the A
bands do not change in length
 In a fully contracted muscle, the
ends of the actin myofilaments
overlap, and the H zone disappears.
 During muscle relaxation, sacromeres
lengthen. This lengthening requires
an opposing force, such as that
produced by other muscles by
gravity.
Muscle Contraction
 Breakdown of ATP and Cross-Bridge Movement
During Muscle Contraction
 Exposure of attachment sites. During contraction of a muscle, Ca+ binds to
troponin molecules, causing tropomyosin molecules to move, which exposes
myosin attachment sites on actin myofilaments.
 Cross-bridge formation. The myosin heads bind to the exposed attachment
sited on the actin myofilaments to form cross-bridges, and phosphates are
released from the myosin heads.
 Power stroke. Energy stored in the myosin heads is used to move myosin
heads, causing actin myofilament to slide past the myosin myofilament, and the
ADP molecules are released from the myosin heads.
 ATP binds to myosin heads. ATP molecules bind to the myosin heads
 Cross-bridge release. As ATP is broken down to ADP and phosphates, the
myosin heads release from the actin attachment sites.
 Recovery stroke. The heads of the myosin molecules return to their resting
position, and energy is stored in the heads of the myosin molecules. If Ca+ are
still attached to troponin, cross-bridge formation and movement are repeated.
This cycle occurs many times during a muscle contraction. Not all cross-bridges
form and release simultaneously.
 Breakdown of ATP and Cross-Bridge Movement
During Muscle Contraction
Power stroke

ATP binds to myosin heads

Exposure of
attachment sites

Cross-bridge release
Cross-bridge
formation
 Take note
 Muscle relaxation occurs as Ca+ is actively transported back into the
sarcoplasmic reticulum (a process that requires ATP).

 Rigor mortis- rigid contraction of the muscles as the cross-bridges that

have formed are not released because of the unavailability of ATP as
what happens when a person dies.
 Types of Muscle Contraction
 Isometric contractions
 “equal distance”
 the length of the muscle does not
change, but the amount of tension
increases during the contraction
process
 are responsible for the constant length
of the body’s postural muscles, such
as the muscles of the back
 Isotonic contractions
 “equal tension”
 the amount of tension produced by
the muscle is constant during
contraction, but the length of the
muscle decreases (or lengthens)
 movements of the muscles of the
arms and fingers are predominantly
isotonic
 Kinds of Isotonic contraction
 Concentric contractions
 are isotonic contractions in
which the muscle
shortens

 Eccentric contractions
 are isotonic contractions in
which tension is maintained
in a muscle, but the
opposing resistance cause
the muscle to lengthen.
Used when a person slowly
lowers a heavy weight.
 Muscle attachments
 Origin (head)
 the most stationary end of the
muscle usually attached to bones;
more fixed or central attachment
 Note: Origins are usually, but not
always, proximal or medial to the
insertion of a given muscle
 Insertion
 the end of the muscle attached to
the bone undergoing the greatest
movement; the movable point on
which the force of the muscle is
applied
 Important:
 Belly is the part of the muscle
between the origin and the insertion;
fleshy part of a muscle