REPORT SUMMARY

Main Topic: Muscular System

Definition: It is a set of tissues in the body with the ability to change shape. Muscle cells connect together and
eventually to elements of the skeletal system. When the muscle cells contract, force, is created as the muscles
pull against the skeleton.

MAJOR FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SKELETAL MUSCLES

 Contractility
 It is when skeletal muscles contract, the structures to which they are attached, moves.

 Excitability
 Capacity of the skeletal muscles to respond to a stimulus.
 The stimulus, is normally from the nerves that we consciously control.
 Extensibility
 Stretching of the skeletal muscles.
 After contraction, skeletal muscles can be stretched to their normal stretching length and beyond
to a limited degree.
 Elasticity
 The ability of the skeletal muscles to recoil to their original resting length after they have been
stretched.
MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF MUSCULAR SYSTEM
 Movement of the body
 skeletal muscle’s contraction is responsible for the body’s overall movements.
 running, walking and manipulating objects with the hands
 Maintenance of posture
 skeletal muscles constantly maintain tone, which keeps us sitting or standing erect.
 Respiration
 muscles of the thorax carry out the movements necessary for respiration.
 Production of body heat
 when skeletal muscles contract, heat is given off as a by-product.
 The released heat is critical to the maintenance of body temperature.
 Communication
 skeletal muscles involved in all aspects of communication, including speaking, writing, typing,
gesturing and facial expressions.
 Constriction of organs and vessels
 it can help propel and mix food and water in the digestive tract, propel secretions from organs
and regulate blood flow through vessels.
 Contraction of the heart
 the contraction of the cardiac muscle causes the heart to beat, propelling blood to all parts of the
body.
TYPES OF MUSCLE TISSUES
 Skeletal Muscles
 constitutes approximately 40% of your body weight.
 named since 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.
 also known as voluntary muscles, since we control their actions at will.
 connected to the skeleton, either to bone or to connective tissues such as ligaments. muscles are
always attached at two or more places.
 when the muscle contracts, the attachment points are pulled closer together; when it relaxes, the
attachment points move apart.

 Smooth Muscles
 known as “involuntary muscle”, because it works automatically rather than under conscious
control, or smooth muscle, from its magnified appearance (no striations bands or stripes).
 they can be found in the walls of body parts such as the airways, stomach, alimentary canal, and
blood vessels.
 spontaneous contraction of smooth muscles was called, “autorhythmicity”.
 Cardiac Muscles
 also called heart muscle or myocardium.
 it is part of both the muscular system and the circulatory system.
 it is responsible for circulating blood throughout the body.
 it has its own pacemaker for rhythmic beating (regulated by “sinoatrial node”).
 it is also under involuntary control.
SKELETAL MUSCLES STRUCTURE
 Connective Tissue Coverings of Muscle
 each skeletal muscle is surrounded by a connective tissue, “epimysium”.
 each whole muscle is subdivided by a loose connective tissue, “perimysium”, into numerous
visible bundles, “muscle fasciculi”.
 each fascicle is subdivided by a loose connective tissue, “endomysium”, into separate muscle
cells, called “muscle fibers”.
 Muscle Fiber Structure
 a muscle fiber is a single cylindrical fiber, with several nuclei located at its periphery.
 the cell membrane of the muscle fiber is called the “sarcolemma”.
 along the surface of the sarcolemma are many tube-like invaginations, “transverse tubules” or
“t-tubules”.
 t-tubules are associated with a highly organized smooth endoplasmic reticulum, “sarcoplasmic
reticulum”.
 in a cytoplasm, it contains numerous “myofibrils”, -threadlike structure that extend from one end
of the muscle fiber to the other.
 myofibrils, consists of 2 protein kind fibers;
- actin myofilaments
- myosin myofilaments
 actin and myosin filaments are arranged into highly ordered repeating units, “sarcomeres”.
 Actin Myofilaments
 made up of 3 components.
- Actin
the actin strands, which resemble two-minute strands of pearls twisted together, have
attachment sites for the myosin filaments.
- Troponin
troponin molecules are attached at specific intervals along the actin myofilaments.
 - Tropomyosin
tropomyosin filaments are located along the groove between the twisted strands of actin
myofilament subunits.

 Myosin Myofilaments
 resemble bundles of minute golf club heads which referred to as “myosin heads”.
 myosin heads have 3 important properties;
- the heads can bind to attachment sites on the actin myofilaments.
- they can bend and straighten during contraction and;
- they can break down ATP, releasing energy.
 Sarcomeres
 it is the basic structural and functional unit of skeletal muscle capable of contracting.
 each sarcomere extends from one z disk to an adjacent z disk.
 each z disk is a network of protein fibers forming an attachment site for actin myofilaments.
 the myosin myofilaments are anchored in the center of the sarcomere at a dark-staining band,
“m- line”.
 the arrangement of the actin and myosin myofilaments in sarcomeres gives the myofibril a
banded appearance.

SKELETAL MUSCLE ACTIVITY

 Nerve Supply and Muscle Fiber Stimulation
 skeletal muscle fibers do not contract unless they are stimulated by motor neurons [axons of
these neurons enter muscles and send out branches to several muscle fibers].
 each branch forms a junction with a muscle fiber, “neuromuscular junction”– located near the
center of a muscle fiber.
 a single motor neuron and all the skeletal muscle fibers it innervates constitute a motor unit.
 in a precisely controlled muscle (hand) may have 1 or few muscle fibers per unit unlike in large
muscle thighs may have as many as 1000 muscle fibers per motor unit.
 a neuromuscular junction is formed by a cluster of enlarged axon terminals resting in
indentations of the muscle fiber’s cell membrane.
 enlarged axon terminal is the “presynaptic terminal”.
 the space between the presynaptic terminal and the muscle fiber is the “postsynaptic
membrane”.
 each presynaptic terminal contains many small vesicles, “synaptic vesicles” – contain
“acetylcholine”- (which function as a “neurotransmitter”), a molecule released by a presynaptic
nerve cell that stimulates or inhibits a postsynaptic cell.

 Muscle Contraction
 it occurs as actin and myosin filaments slide past one another [phenomenon called “sliding
filament model”].
 during contraction: none of the actin and myosin fibers are shorten.
 during muscle relaxation: sarcomeres lengthen.
 muscle contraction’s energy is supplied in the form of “adenosine triphosphate” (ATP) – a high
energy molecule produced from the energy that is released during the metabolism of food.

 Types of Contraction
- Isometric Contractions
 The length of the muscle doesn’t change, but the amount of tension increases during
the contraction process.
  They are responsible for the constant length of the body’s postural muscles (back
muscles)
- Isotonic Contractions
 The amount of tension produced by the muscle is constant during contraction, but the
length of the muscles decreases.
Concentric contractions
 muscle tension increase as the muscle decreases (common movements)
Eccentric contractions
 tension is maintained in a muscle, but the opposing resistance causes
the muscles to lengthen
GROSS ANATOMY OF SKELETAL MUSCLES
 General Principles
 most muscles extend from one bone to another and cross at least one joint.
 at each end, the muscle is connected to the bone by a tendon.
 muscle contraction causes most of body movements by pulling one of the bones toward the other
across the movable joint.
 origin and insertion: the two points of each muscle’s attachment.
 origin (the head): is the most stationary end of the muscle.
 insertion: is the end of the muscle attached to the bone undergoing the greatest movement.
 belly: part of the muscles between origin and insertion.
 a muscle that accomplishes a certain movement such as flexion, is called “agonist”.
 a muscle acting in opposition to an agonist is called an “antagonist”.
 muscles tend to function in groups to accomplish specific movements.
 many muscles are members of more than one group.
 members of a group of muscles working together to produce a movement are called
“synergists”.
 prime mover: if one muscle plays the major role in accomplishing the desired movement.
 fixators: muscles that hold one bone in place relative to the body.

MUSCLE MOVEMENTS, TYPES AND NAMES

 Nomenclature
 most muscles have descriptive names, they are named according to;
- location (pectoralis/chest)
- origin and insertion (brachio/arm)
- number of origins (biceps)
- function (flexor digitorum)
- size (vastus, large)
- shape (deltoid, triangular)
- orientation of their fasciculi (rectus, straight)
 Tongue and Swallowing Muscles
 Tongue Muscles
- change shape of tongue and moves it
 Hyoid Muscles
- elevates or stabilize hyoid
 Neck Muscles
 Deep neck muscle
- flex head and neck
 Sternonocleimastoid
 - individually rotate head, together flex neck
 Muscles of The Thorax
 Scalenes
- elevate ribs
 Diaphragm
- depress floor of thorax
 Abdominal Wall Muscles
 Rectus Abdominis
- flexes vertebral column, compresses abdomen
 Transversus Abdominis
- compresses abdomen
 Pelvic Floor and Perineum Muscles
 Pelvic Floor
- elevates anu; supports pelvic viscera
 Perineum
- constricts urethra, erects penis or clitoris
 Arm Muscles
 Biceps Brachii
- flexes elbow, supinates forearm; flexes shoulders
 Triceps Brachii
- extends elbow, extends shoulders; adducts arm
 Forearm Muscles
 Flexor Carpi Radialis (Anterior Forearm)
- flexes and abducts wrist.
 Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (Posterior Forearm)
- extends and abducts wrist.
 Hip and Thigh Muscles
 Gluteus Maximus
- extends hip; abducts and laterally rotates thigh
 Iliopsoas
- flexes hip

QUESTIONS:

A.
1. What is created, when the muscle cells contract? (Answer: Force)
2. It is a set of tissues in the body with the ability to change shape. (Answer: Muscular System)
3. Cells make up? (Answer: Tissues)
4. Tissues make up? (Answer: Organs)
5. Organs make up? (Answer: Organ Systems)
6. Organ systems make up? (Answer: Whole Body)
7. It is when skeletal muscles contract, the structures to which they are attached, moves. (Answer:
Contractility)
8. It is the ability of the skeletal muscles to recoil to their original resting length after they have been
stretched. (Answer: Elasticity)
9. In extensibility, after its contraction, skeletal muscles cannot be stretched to their normal stretching
length and beyond to a limited degree, True or False?) [Answer: F]-(The word, “cannot”)
10. It is the capacity of the skeletal muscles to respond to a stimulus. (Answer: Excitability)
B.
1. Skeletal muscle’s contraction is responsible for the body’s overall movements. True or false?
(Answer: T)
2. Muscles of the thorax carry out the movements necessary for restoration. True or false? (Answer: F)
(The incorrect word “restoration”, the correct term was “respiration”).
3. What is the by-product, when skeletal muscles contract? (Answer: Heat)
4. What is critical to the maintenance of body temperature? (Answer: the released heat)
5. Skeletal muscles involved in all aspects of communication. True or False? (Answer: T)
6. What major function of muscular system helps propelling and mixing food and water in the digestive
tract, propel secretions from organs and regulate blood flow through vessels. (Answer: Constriction
of organs and vessels)
7. The construction of the cardiac muscle causes the heart to beat, propelling blood to all parts of the
body. True or False? (Answer: F) (The incorrect word was “construction”, the correct term was
“contraction”).
8. Movement of the body is one of the major functional characteristics of the skeletal muscles. True or
False? (Answer: F) (The incorrect words are “major functional characteristics of the skeletal
muscles”, the correct term was “major functions of muscular system”).

C.
1. How many percent does skeletal muscles approximately constitute our body weight? (Answer: 40%)
2. When the skeletal muscle contracts, the attachment points are pulled closer together; when it relaxes,
the attachment points move apart. True or False? (Answer: True)
3. What is the other term of skeletal muscles? (Answer: striated muscle)
4. What can be found in the skeletal muscles under the microscope. (Answer: Transverse bands)
5. What is it then called, if there was a spontaneous contraction of smooth muscles? (Answer:
Autorhythmicity)
6. What certain muscles they can be seen in the walls of body parts such as the airways, stomach,
alimentary canal, and blood vessels? (Answer: Smooth muscles)
7. Why smooth muscles were also known as involuntary muscles? (Answer: because it works
automatically rather than under conscious control)
8. What is the other term for heart muscle? (Answer: cardiac muscle or myocardium)
9. What type of muscle tissues that are part of both the muscular system and the circulatory system?
(Answer: Cardiac muscles)
10. Cardiac muscles have its own pacemaker for rhythmic beating which is regulated by? (Answer:
sinoatrial node).
D.
1. Each skeletal muscle is surrounded by a connective tissue, called? (Answer: epimysium)
2. Each whole muscle is subdivided by a loose connective tissue, called? (Answer: perimysium)
3. Each fascicle is subdivided by a loose connective tissue, called? (Answer: endomysium)
4. The cell membrane of the muscle fiber is called? (Answer: sarcolemma)
5. T-tubules are associated with a highly organized smooth endoplasmic reticulum, called? (Answer:
sarcoplasmic reticulum)
6. It is a threadlike structure that extend from one end of the muscle fiber to the other. (Answer:
myofibrils)
7. This resembles two-minute strands of pearls twisted together, having attachment sites for the myosin
filaments. What strand is this? (Answer: Actin Strand)
8. What is the basic structural and functional unit of skeletal muscle capable of contracting? (Answer:
Sarcomeres)
9. These filaments are located along the groove between the twisted strands of actin myofilament
subunits. What are they? (Answer: tropomyosin filaments)
 10. What gives the myofibril a banded appearance? (Answer: the arrangement of the actin and myosin
myofilaments in sarcomeres)
E.
1. It located near the center of a muscle fiber. (Answer: neuromuscular junction)
2. Skeletal muscle fibers do not contract unless they are stimulated by what? (Answer: motor neurons)
3. It is formed by a cluster of enlarged axon terminals resting in indentations of the muscle fiber’s cell
membrane. (Answer: a neuromuscular junction)
4. Each presynaptic terminal contains many small vesicles, they were called as the? (Answer: synaptic
vesicles)
5. A molecule released by a presynaptic nerve cell that stimulates or inhibits a postsynaptic cell, it also
functions as the neurotransmitter. (Answer: acetylcholine)
6. Muscle contraction’s energy is supplied in the form of what? (Answer: adenosine triphosphate)
7. During muscle relaxation, what would happen to sarcomeres? (Answer: lengthen.)
8. During muscle contraction, what would happen to the actin and myosin fibers? (Answer: none of
them are shorten)
9. The enlarged axon terminal is the? (Answer: presynaptic terminal)
10. The length of the muscle doesn’t change, but the amount of tension increases during the contraction
process, what type of contraction is being described? (Answer: Isometric Contractions)
F.
1. At each end, the muscle is connected to the bone by a? (Answer: tendon)
2. It is the most stationary end of the muscle. (Answer: Origin)
3. It is the end of the muscle attached to the bone undergoing the greatest movement. (Answer:
insertion)
4. It is part of the muscles between origin and insertion. (Answer: belly)
5. A muscle that accomplishes a certain movement such as flexion, is called what? (Answer: agonist)
6. A muscle acting in opposition to an agonist is called an? (Answer: antagonist).
7. Members of a group of muscles working together to produce a movement are called what? (Answer:
synergists)
8. If one muscle plays the major role in accomplishing the desired movement, they were called as the?
(Answer: prime movers)
9. These are the muscles that hold one bone in place relative to the body. (Answer: fixators)
10. Many muscles are members of more than one group. True or false? (Answer: True)