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Exercise 8
Muscle Tissue

Muscle tissue is composed of aggregates of specialized, elongated cells organized in parallel

arrangement that have the primary role of contraction. Myofilament interaction generates the forces
necessary for cellular contraction, which drives movement within certain organs and the body. Two types
of myofilament for contraction include the thin filament (composed primarily of actin) and thick filament
(composed of myosin II), both occupying majority of the muscle cell cytoplasm or sarcoplasm.

There are three types of muscle tissue can be distinguished on the basis of morphologic and
functional characteristics. Skeletal muscle is attached to bone and is responsible for movement of the axial
and appendicular skeleton and for maintenance of body position and posture. Cardiac muscle is a type of
muscle found in the wall of the heart and in the base of the large veins that empty into the heart. It has a
unique structure called intercalated disks which serve as highly specialized attachment sites between
adjacent cells. Both the skeletal muscle and the cardiac muscle have cross-striations but their main
differences are in their size, shape, and organization relative to one another. Smooth muscle consists of
collections of fusiform cells that do not exhibit striations because the myofilaments do not achieve the
same degree of order in their arrangement like that of the striated muscles. It is limited to the viscera and
vascular system, the arrector pili muscles of the skin, and the intrinsic muscles of the eye.

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1. Draw the three types of muscle tissue and differentiate each according to their morphologic
and functionalcharacteristics.

Morphologic/functional characteristics

Morphologic/functional characteristics

Morphologic/functional characteristics

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2. Briefly discuss the functions of the muscle tissues.
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3. Differentiate elasticity from extensibility.

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4. Differentiate the three types of muscle tissue according to their morphologic appearance and
mannerof contraction
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5. What is a sarcomere?
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6. Draw and label the structures of the thin and thick filament of myofibrils.
Thin Filament

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 Thick Filament

7. Draw the sarcomere and label the structures within

8. How are skeletal muscles cells develop?

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9. What are the different connective tissue coverings of the muscle tissue?
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10. Differentiate the types of skeletal muscle fibers according to metabolic profile, contractile speed,
velocity and distribution
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11. What is the A band? The I band? The H zone?

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12. What is the sequence of events in excitation-contraction coupling?

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13. Draw and label the structures of a cardiac muscle

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14. What are intercalated discs?
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15. How are cardiac muscle fibers different from skeletal muscle fibers?
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16. Enumerate and describe the cell to cell junction adjoining cardiac muscle cells.
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17. How does the cardiac muscle tissue heal in response to injury?
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18. Draw and label the structures of a smooth muscle.

19. What is the appearance of smooth muscle cells?

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20. What are the factors that trigger contraction in smooth muscles? Discuss
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21. Are smooth muscles capable of regeneration? If yes, how does it respond to a muscle injury in
various body parts?
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