MUSCULAR

SYSTEM
MUSCULAR SYSTEM
● System of muscles.
● Muscles are made up of
muscular tissue that are
further made up of muscle  UNICELLULAR PROTOCTISTS
cells. Move by unstriated fibres .

● These muscles generate a  INVERTEBRATES Move by smooth

pulling force (they contract muscles (slow body movements)
and then relax), which serves
 VERTEBRATES & ARTHROPODS
as a unique function.
specialized striated muscles (quick
● All the movements are movement)
brought about by muscle
contraction.
● This system enables the
skeleton to move.

2
Human Muscular
system
Human body is comprised of almost 600 muscles.
It constitutes 50% of the total body weight
There are 3 types of muscles:
● Skeletal muscle
● Smooth muscle
● Cardiac muscle

3
4
SKELETAL MUSCLES:
• Also called Striated or striped muscles.
• They are associated with the skeleton.
• They are voluntary in function.
• They contract and relax at a higher speed but also get fatigued quickly.
• They are made up of protein filaments: either directly attached to
bones or form tendon when terminate.
• Tendon: flexible but non-elastic cord of strong fibrous protein that
attaches muscle to the bone.
• When contraction occurs, it pulls the tendon and tendon pulls the
bone.
• Muscle attaches with the bone at two regions:
1. Origin: attachement to the stationary point
2. Insertion: attachment to the movable part.
SMOOTH ● Morphologically, they are the simplest
muscles.

MUSCLES: ● They are also called non-striated or non-

“ ●
striped muscles.
They are involuntary in action, hence, under
the control of ANS (Autonomic nervous
system).
● They are composed of long spindle shaped
uni-nucleated cells.
● They surround body’s internal organs or
hollow organs.
● Examples: Emptying of urinary bladder,
vasoconstriction and vasodilation, pupil of
eye movements, erection of hair on skin etc.
7
“

8
CARDIAC MUSCLES
● They form the muscular walls of the heart only.
● Mostly associated with vertebrates.
● They are unique: involuntary and striated.
● They can be uni or bi-nucleated.
● They are branched (to make a network of
contractile tissues), their fibres can’t be
separated.
● As a result, they can bear any kind of pressure
without being fatigued or damaged.
● Once the muscles contract, the whole network
squeezes in order to maintain a good blood
flow.
● Heart muscles contract and relax in a rhythmic
pattern (heart beat) 9
10
● Heart beat is initiated at SA-node or
pace-maker.
● Because of this, heart is quite
independent of the conscious control of
brain.
● A unique characteristic in heart muscles is
the presence of intercalated discs.
● They aid in synchronized contraction in
cardiac tissues.
● Due to these discs, all cells work as a
single functional unit called syncytium.
11