Muscular System 

 
Major Functions of the Muscular System 
 
1. Movement of the body 
❖ Contraction of skeletal muscles is responsible for the overall movements of 
the body, such as walking, running, and manipulating objects with the 
hands.  
 
2. Maintenance of posture 
❖ Skeletal muscles constantly maintain tone, which keeps us sitting or 
standing erect. 
  
3. Respiration 
❖ Muscles of the thorax carry out the movements necessary for respiration.  
 
4. Production of body heat 
❖ When skeletal muscles contract, heat is given off as a by-product. This 
released heat is critical to the maintenance of body temperature. 
 
5. Communication 
❖ Skeletal muscles are involved in all aspects of communication, including 
speaking, writing, typing, gesturing, and facial expressions.  
 
6. Constriction of organs and vessels 
❖ The contraction of smooth muscle within the walls of internal organs and 
vessels causes those structures to constrict. This constriction can help 
propel and mix food and water in the digestive tract, propel secretions 
from organs, and regulate blood flow through vessels.  
 
7. Contraction of the heart 
❖ The contraction of cardiac muscle causes the heart to beat, propelling 
blood to all parts of the body. 
 
 
Characteristics of Skeletal Muscle 
 
➔ Skeletal muscle, with its associated connective tissue, constitutes 
approximately 40% of body weight.  
➔ 42% of the male body weight , 36% of the female body weight. 
➔ Skeletal muscle is so named because most of the muscles are attached to 
the skeletal system. 
➔ It is also called striated muscle because transverse bands, or striations, can 
be seen in the muscle under the microscope.  
Skeletal muscle has four major functional characteristics:​ ​contractility, 
excitability, extensibility, and elasticity.  
 
1. Contractility (kon-trak-til′ i-t)̄   
❖ is the ability of skeletal muscle to shorten with force. When skeletal 
muscles contract, they cause the structures to which they are attached to 
move. Skeletal muscles shorten forcefully during contraction, but they 
lengthen passively. Either gravity or the contraction of an opposing muscle 
produces a force that pulls on the shortened muscle, causing it to 
lengthen.  
 
2. Excitability (ek-sı′ t-̆ bil′ i-t)̄   
❖ is the capacity of skeletal muscle to respond to a stimulus. Normally, the 
stimulus is from nerves that we consciously control.  
 
3. Extensibility (eks-ten′ sı-bil′ i-t)̄   
❖ means that skeletal muscles stretch. After a contraction, skeletal muscles 
can be stretched to their normal resting length and beyond to a limited 
degree.  
 
4. Elasticity (̆-las-tis′ i-t)̄   
❖ is the ability of skeletal muscles to recoil to their original resting length 
after they have been stretched. 

Striations: muscle tissue that features ​ repeating functional units called 

sarcomeres 
Seven Functions of the Muscular System 
1.) Movement of the body 
2.) Maintenance of posture 
3.) Respiration 
4.) Production of heat 
5.) Communication 
6.) Constriction of Vessels and Organs 
7.) Contraction of heart 
Two Major Type of Muscles that make up the Muscular System 
1.) Involuntary muscle 
2.) Voluntary muscle 
Movement of Muscular System 
❖ The muscular system is closely associated with the skeletal system. 
Muscles attach bones to one another. When muscles contract, the bones 
they are attached to, move, allowing parts of the body to move as well. 
Smooth and cardiac muscles are not attached to bones. Nevertheless, 
these muscles still contract to allow involuntary movements inside the 
body such as the beating of the heart and the digestion of food. 
 
★ Muscular System 
➢ composed of different muscles 
➢ System of voluntary and involuntary muscles in the human body 
➢ Muscles are living tissues that have the special ability to contract or 
shorten 
➢ Muscle contraction produces heat as a by product 
➢ Produce movement by contracting or shortening 
 
Skeletal Muscle 
- Muscles that are attached to the bones 
- Adults have 620 identified muscles 
- Muscles attach two bones to each other thru tendons. 
❏ They are already connected by tough fibrous bands of tissue called 
ligaments, the skeletal muscles reinforce these connections and 
tendons make them stronger. 
- we are able to move by contracting muscle 
- Voluntary movements are accomplished by the skeletal muscles 
- Most common type of muscles in the body 
- These muscles are controlled voluntarily by the brain 
- They can also provide protection to the internal organs 
- Muscles are attached to at least two bones in at least two points 
“origin” and "insertion” - interchangeable 
- Sartorius:​ “tailor” in Latin 
❏ Tailors use sartorius to pedal a sewing machine 
❏ Attached to two bones 
❏ Pelvic bone - origin ; Tibia - insertion 
 ❖ When sartorius contract, bones of pelvis and tibia are brought 
together 
 
★ Muscle contract: it shortens, hence the distance between the two bones 
shortens. 
★ When it contracts two bones move towards each other 
- Biceps brachii  
❏ Bi - two 
❏ Ceph - head 
❏ Brachii - a branch of tree 
❏ Has three attachment 
❏ Two attachments in the upper arm and another one in the radius (a 
bone in the lower arm) 
❏ When they contract the bones of upper and lower arm move 
towards each other - flexion 
- Triceps  
❏ Muscle with four attachment 
❏ When you flex your arm, your biceps contract. 
❏ When you straighten your arm, your triceps, in a position opposite to 
biceps, contracts.  
 
Antagonistic Muscle - ​located opposite to each other 
- One muscle does not contract when the other is also contracting 
- Work well by letting each other contract alternately 
- Opponent muscles 
 
Synergistic Muscles - ​muscles work together to perform a similar action 
 
 
Smooth Muscle 
- Very smooth and lack the rough appearance of other kinds of muscles 
- Muscles lining the walls of the intestine 
- Found on the walls or hollow organs (heart, intestines, stomach, uterus and 
gallbladder), blood vessel, and glands (stomach, intestines, uterus) 
- Diaphragm : important muscle that works to help us breathe. (found below 
the lungs) -automatic- 
- Involuntary muscles that mediate functions such as circulation, digestion, 
urination and reproduction 
- Inhale : ​diaphragm contracts and lungs expand to allow air to enter 
- Exhale :​ diaphragm relaxes and lungs deflate, allows air to exit from the 
body 
 
 
 
Cardiac Muscle 
 - Heart ​: pumps blood continuously throughout the body (works 
involuntarily) 
 
Diiff. Charac of muscles
Contractility (contracts)
Excitivity (responds to stimulus)
Extensibility (muscle stretches longer than it's normal length)
Elasticity (when muscle stretches)

One of the organ of communication is the tongue (speech)

Inflammation of the tongue

Tongue tied (nabubulol or have hard frenulum)
Little membrane under the tongue (frenulum)

Contraction of vocals and vessels

The way the intestine move (peristalsis)

Contraction of urinary bladder

- tinutulak ang urine papunta sa labas
- urinary sphincter muscle

Helps control the bowel movement

- anal sphincter muscle

Latissimus dorsi is located at the back part

Covers the big flat scapulae

3 types of muscle
Skeletal long cylindrical ex. Attached to bone
Cardiac branched ex. Heart
Smooth spindle shape ex. Wall of hollow organs, blood vessels, and glands