4 Oct 2022

MUSCULAR SYSTEM

By: Heston Sial

OVERVIEW
Muscular System
1. Functions of the Muscular system
2. Types of Muscle Tissues
a. Skeletal
b. Cardiac
c. Smooth
3. Histology of a muscle fiber
4. Physiology of Muscle Contraction
5. Types of muscle contraction
a. slow-twitch fibers
b. fast-twitch fibers
c. isotonic and isometric contractions
6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body
a. basic principles – naming muscles
b. skeletal muscle groups
- anterior superior muscles
- posterior superficial muscles
- muscles of facial expression
- muscles of the pelvic floor
7. Effects of Aging on the muscular system
(ASSIGNMENT: READ)

OVERVIEW
MUSCLES
• 30-40% of body mass is muscles
• Over 650 muscles

1
 4 Oct 2022

1. General Functions
• Movement
• muscles pull on bones; move food and blood
• Body Shape
• Protection
• Body Heat
• Maintain Temperature
• Maintains posture and balance
• Guard entrances and Exits
• Stabilize Joints

2. Types of Muscles
3 Types of Muscle

2. Types of Muscles
1. Skeletal Muscle
• DESCRIPTION:
• Voluntary motion
• The most abundant type
• Cover the skeleton and give our body its General Shape
• There are over 650 skeletal muscles in the body
• Skeletal Muscles can attach to bones:
• Directly
• Via tendons

2
 4 Oct 2022

2. Types of Muscles
1.Skeletal Muscle
• FUNCTIONS:
• Maintain Posture
• Guards Entrance/Exit (Swallowing/excretion)
• Maintain Body Temperature

2. Types of Muscles
1. Skeletal Muscle
• STRUCTURE: MUSCLE FIBER
• Skeletal Muscle cells are Multinucleated
• Cells called MYOBLASTS which has 1 nucleus,
fuse to form a long cylindrical multinucleated
cell called MUSCLE FIBER, with its nuclei located
at the periphery

• Surrounded by a sheath of connective tissue called the ENDOMYSIUM

2. Types of Muscles
1. Skeletal Muscle
• STRUCTURE:
• Inside each muscle Fiber are many MYOFIBRILS and these
contain and these contain MYOFILAMENTS, which are
themselves organized into units called SARCOMERES
• SARCOMERE
• Smallest functional unit of the muscle
• are the contractile machinery which actively shorten and are
responsible for skeletal muscle contraction
• Responsible for the striated/striped appearance of the muscle fiber

3
 4 Oct 2022

2. Types of Muscles
1. Skeletal Muscle
• STRUCTURE:
SARCOMERE
• Contains MYOFILAMENTS (2 types)
• ACTIN FILAMENTS (thinner)
• MYOSIN FILAMENTS (thicker)
• The sliding of these filaments across one
another produces contraction

2. Types of Muscles
1. Skeletal Muscle
• STRUCTURE: (ZOOM OUT )
• FASCICLE
• Each muscle fiber is arranged into a bundle of muscle cells called FASCICLE,
which is surrounded by a layer of fibrous connective tissue called PERIMYSIUM
• EPIMYSIUM
• Multiple muscle fascicles grouped together to form a larger structure which is
surrounded by a layer of dense irregular connective tissue

2. Types of Muscles
1. Skeletal Muscle
• STRUCTURE:
• SKELETAL MUSCLE
• For a skeletal muscle to contract it needs to be ACTIVATED or INNERVATED by
NEURONS in the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM in particular the SOMATIC NERVOUS
SYSTEM (Voluntary Nervous System)
• The only muscle type under VOLUNTARY CONTROL
• They move when we decide to move them

4
 4 Oct 2022

2. Types of Muscles
2. Cardiac Muscle
DESCRIPTION:
• Found only in the heart
• Cardiac muscle cells are called CARDIOMYOCYTES
• Pumps blood out of the heart to the rest of the body
• Supply oxygen to tissues and cells
• Striped / striated (Myofibrils and Sarcomeres for Contractility)

2. Types of Muscles
2. Cardiac Muscle
DESCRIPTION:
• CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS
• Striped / striated (Myofibrils and Sarcomeres for Contractility)
• “Short Branched cells” which allows them to communicate with other cells
• Typically have 1 or 2 centrally located Nuclei
• In between each CARDIOMYOCYTES, there is an INTERCALATED DISC, which
contains GAP JUNCTIONS that allow electrical stimulus that is required for
contraction to rapidly spread across the cardiac tissue, by allowing IONS to move
from one cell to the next.
• CARDIOMYOCYTES contract in a coordinated fashion allowing the heart to work as
an efficient pump

2. Types of Muscles
2. Cardiac Muscle
DESCRIPTION:
• CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS
• Contraction in the cardiac muscle is INVOLUNTARY (we don’t think
about it)
• The heart is Innervated by the AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
which regulates the speed at which electrical stimuli are generated
by specialized cardiac muscle cells call PACEMAKER CELLS.

5
 4 Oct 2022

2. Types of Muscles
3. Smooth Muscle
DESCRIPTION:
• Found in most of our Organs
• Contracts to regulate many of our bodily functions
• blood vessel walls which contract or relax to regulate our blood
pressure / distribute blood
• airways to control passage of air
• digestive tract walls to push food along
• bladder to expel urine
• Reproductive system – walls of the uterus contract to push out a
baby

2. Types of Muscles
3. Smooth Muscle
STRUCTURE:
• Organized into 2 layers
• LONGITUDINAL LAYER
• muscle fibers run parallel to the long axis of the organ
• Contraction will dilate/ shorten the organ
• CIRCULAR LAYER
• Muscle fibers run around the circumference of the organ
• Contraction will constrict / lengthen the organ
• When these layers alternate contraction (PERISTALSIS), it can push material
through the organ

2. Types of Muscles
3. Smooth Muscle
STRUCTURE:
• Contraction occurs Automatically
• Innervated by the Autonomic Nervous System

6
 4 Oct 2022

2. Types of Muscles
3. Smooth Muscle
STRUCTURE:
• Have One Nucleus
• Short and Spindle-Shaped (FUSIFORM)
• Smooth muscle is NOT STRIATED (No Sarcomeres, Myofibrils)
• Myofilaments are scattered throughout the cytoplasm instead

3. Histology of a Muscle fiber

SKELETAL MUSCLE: Voluntary muscle the produces
movement; connects to bone with a tendon

3. Histology of a Muscle fiber

What is the white tissue in Muscle Diagrams?
Connective Tissue:
TENDONS
Connects Muscles to bone
FASCIA
Any “indistinct” type of connective tissue

7
 4 Oct 2022

3. Histology of a Muscle fiber

3. Histology of a Muscle fiber

TENDON: Dense Connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle to bone
EPIMYSIUM: Connective Tissue (layer of collagen fibers); surrounds skeletal
muscle
PERIMYSIUM: Connective tissue fibers that surrounds and bundle the
fascicle; passageway for blood vessels and nerves
FASCICLE: Bundle of muscle fibers; grouped together to form skeletal muscle
Skeletal muscle > Epimysium
Fascicle > Perimysium

3. Histology of a Muscle fiber

MUSCLE FIBER: Skeletal muscle cell with many nuclei; grouped together to
form fascicles. (Within the fascicles)
SARCOLEMMA: Cell membrane that surrounds the muscle fiber (cell)
ENDOMYSIUM: Connective tissue that surrounds each skeletal muscle
fiber (cell) – outside that sarcolemma
MYOFIBRILS: Bundles of thick and thin filaments (Myofilaments) inside
muscle fibers (cells)
: Each fiber has 100-1000 myofibrils)

8
 4 Oct 2022

3. Histology of a Muscle fiber

SARCOMERE: Myofilaments (actin/myosin) in myofibrils overlap and are organized
into sarcomere)
: Functional Unit of the muscle
NOTE: each myofibrils contains about 10,000 sarcomeres
ACTIN: Thin myofilaments
MYOSIN: Thick myofilaments
M Line: where thick myofilaments (myosin) are joined
Z Line: where thin myofilaments (actin) are joined

4. Physiology of Muscle Contraction

HOW DOES A MUSCLE CONTRACTION WORK?
Sliding filament theory
Myosin and actin filaments slide past one another
Myosin (thick) heads bind to active sites on thin (actin)
Myosin head pivots toward the center of the sarcomere (M Line)
Z bands move closer together

4. Physiology of Muscle Contraction

HOW DOES A MUSCLE CONTRACTION WORK?
Sliding filament theory
Myosin and actin filaments slide past one another
Myosin (thick) heads bind to active sites on thin (actin)
Myosin head pivots toward the center of the sarcomere (M Line)
Z bands move closer together

9
 4 Oct 2022

5. Types of Muscle Contraction

CATEGORY OF MUSCLES:
VOLUNTARY :
Under conscious control
INVOLUNTARY:
NOT under conscious control

5. Types of Muscle Contraction

SLOW-TWITCH FIBERS vs FAST-TWITCH FIBERS
• Slow-Twitch Fibers
• are also called red fibers because they contain more blood-carrying
myoglobin, which creates a darker appearance
• use energy slowly and fairly evenly to make it last a long time.
• This helps them contract (work) for a long time, without running out of
power
• Fast-Twitch Fibers
• fast-twitch (type II) muscle fibers
• provide bigger and more powerful forces, but for shorter durations and
fatigue quickly
• muscles use up a lot of energy very quickly, then get tired (fatigued) and
need a break. Intensity and duration

5. Types of Muscle Contraction

SLOW-TWITCH FIBERS vs FAST-TWITCH FIBERS

10
 4 Oct 2022

5. Types of Muscle Contraction

SLOW-TWITCH FIBERS vs FAST-TWITCH FIBERS

5. Types of Muscle Contraction

ISOTONIC
• Isotonic contractions occur when the muscle changes length, producing limb
motion.
ISOMETRIC
• Isometric contractions are contractions in which there is no change in the
length of the muscle. No joint or limb motion occurs.
ISOKINETIC
• occurs when the velocity of the muscle contraction remains constant while the
length of the muscle changes. The force exerted by the muscle is not fixed, and
can vary depending on the position of the joint in its range of motion and the
participation effort of the subject.

5. Types of Muscle Contraction

(VIDEO)

11
 4 Oct 2022

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

5 Rules of Skeletal Muscle Activity

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

5 Rules of Skeletal Muscle Activity

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

5 Rules of Skeletal Muscle Activity

12
 4 Oct 2022

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

5 Rules of Skeletal Muscle Activity

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

5 Rules of Skeletal Muscle Activity

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

5 Rules of Skeletal Muscle Activity

13
 4 Oct 2022

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

Which muscle would shorten (Contract) to produce flexion of
elbow: Biceps or Triceps?

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

Why do muscles appear to get bigger/bulge when they
contract?

The muscles stays the same size; the mass is just displaced
From Long and thin to Short and wide

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

MUSCLE INTERACTIONS:

14
 4 Oct 2022

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

MUSCLE INTERACTIONS:

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

MUSCLE INTERACTIONS:

5. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

MUSCLE INTERACTIONS:
AGONIST, SYNERGIST, ANTAGONIST, FIXATOR

What provides the major force for a movement?

AGONIST
What muscles stabilizes the Origin?
FIXATOR
What muscles helps the movement, usually by adding force?
SYNERGIST
What muscle resists the prime mover?
ANTAGONIST

15
 4 Oct 2022

PALMARIS LONGUS MUSCLE

10-16% of the population are born without this muscle
Some people have a palmaris longus muscle in one wrist but
not the other
TO TEST:
1. Touch your Pinky and Thumb together (opposition) and
slightly flex your wrist. The palmaris longus tendon should
obviously protrude

PALMARIS LONGUS MUSCLE

What if its missing?
The presence/absence of this muscle has no effect on grip
strength
Like a “spare tire”
Tendon of this muscle is frequently used as a source of
grafting material (ex. Repairing a ruptured tendon)

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?

1. Shape
2. Size
3. Orientation of Fibers
4. Action
5. Number of heads /bellies
6. Points of Attachments
7. Location

16
 4 Oct 2022

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?

1. Shape
• (Greek) deltoid= delta

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?

1. Shape
• (Latin) Orbicularis = Circular

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
1. Shape
• (Greek) rhombos = Rhombus/parallelogram

17
 4 Oct 2022

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
1. Shape
• (Greek) platus = Flat + wide

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
1. Shape
• (Latin) serrare= saw

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?

2. Size
• (Latin) vastus= great

18
 4 Oct 2022

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
2. Size
• Major/Minor

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
2. Size
• (Latin) Maximus = Largest/Greatest
• (Latin) Minimus = Least/Smallest

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
2. Size (Length)
• (Latin) Longus = long/tall
• (Latin) Brevis = short

19
 4 Oct 2022

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
3. Fiber Orientation

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
3. Fiber Orientation

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
3. Fiber Orientation

20
 4 Oct 2022

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
3. Fiber Orientation
• (Latin)Rectus = straight

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
4. Actions

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
4. Actions
• (Latin) Risus = Laugh/smile

21
 4 Oct 2022

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
4. Actions

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
5. Number of (heads/bellies)
• (Latin) bi = two, (Greek)cep (cephalos) =head

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
6. Points of Attachments

22
 4 Oct 2022

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

HOW ARE MUSCLES NAMED?
7. Location

6. The Skeletal Muscles of the Body

(VIDEO)

23