Muscles, its types,

structure &
functions
Muscle
Muscles are bundle of fibrous tissue
that has the ability to contract, producing
movement or maintaining the position of
parts of the body.

 Muscle mass or muscle tissue is made

up of a large number of specialised
contractile cells, also called fibres, muscle
cells or myocytes.
There are more than 600 muscles in human body.

largest muscle in human body is Sartorius muscle.

Smallest muscle in human body is Stapedius muscle.

The study of muscle is called myology.

 Properties of Muscles
1) Excitability - ability to respond to stimuli.
2) Contractibility - ability to contract.
3) Extensibility - ability of a muscle to be stretched without tearing.
4) Elasticity - ability to return to its normal shape.
Functions of Muscles
 Production of force and movement.
 Supporting of the body.
 Changing of body posture.
 Stability of joints.
 Production of body heat (to maintain normal body temperature).
 Provision of form to the body.
Types of Muscles
 Three types of muscle tissue are identified each differing in
structure, location and physiological function. They are;
i. Smooth Muscles
ii. Cardiac Muscles
iii. Skeletal Muscles

 Human body is composed of;

 Skeletal muscles about 40%
 Smooth and Cardiac muscles about
10%
1- Smooth Muscle
Smooth muscle are involuntary that they are not under
conscious control.
 They are non-striated.
 The cells are small, uninucleated and are spindle shaped.
 Smooth muscle are present in the form of sheets in the
walls of hollow organs and tubular structures to regulate
diameter and propel substances through tracts.
They are present in alimentary canal, ureter, blood
vessels.
2- Cardiac Muscle
Cardiac muscle form the muscular wall of the heart (i.e.
the myocardium of heart).
 Cardiac muscle cells (myocytes) are uninucleated.
 Cardiac muscle fibres are striated (striped
appearance) and are joined to one another, end to end
by cell junctions formed by intercalated discs.
 Cardiac muscles are innervated by the autonomic
nervous system (ANS).
 Heart rate is regulated intrinsically by a pacemaker
(the SA node) composed of special cardiac muscle fibers.
3- Skeletal Muscle
Others name : striped muscles, striated muscles, somatic
muscles, voluntary muscles
Skeletal muscles are found attached to bone via tendons, and are
used to move the skeleton.
Make 40% of body weight
Attached to different component of skeleton.
Under microscope muscles fibers are , elongated, non branching ,
multinucleated, and transversely arranged.

Skeletal muscle has two or more attachments.

 The attachment that moves the least is referred to as the origin, and
the one that moves the most, the insertion.
They are voluntary muscle because there is conscious control over
it.
 Skeletal muscles are roughly cylindrical in shape, lying parallel to
one another, striped or striated muscle.
 Skeletal muscles consist of non-branching fibres.
 Skeletal muscle is found in many sizes and various shapes.
 The shape of muscle is dependent on its general architecture, which
in turn helps to define the muscle’s function.
Some muscles, such as the gluteal muscles, are quite thick.
Some, such as the Sartorius of the thigh, are long and
relatively slender.
The extensors of the fingers, have very long tendons.
 These differences in muscle shape and architecture permit skeletal
muscle to function effectively over a relatively wide range of tasks.
Parts of a muscle
A typical skeletal muscle has the
following parts,

(1) Origin
The end of the muscle which remains
fixed during its contraction. It is the
proximal part of the muscle.
(2) Insertion
This is another end of the muscle
which moves during the contraction of
the muscle. This is usually distal to the origin.
(3) Fleshy part
It is the central and contractile part
which is also known as the “belly”.
(4) Fibrous part
it is non contractile and inelastic part
of a muscle. It may be a tendon when it is rope
like and may be an aponeurosis when it is
flattened.
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