CHAPTER 4

SPS113
MUSCULAR SYSTEM
BY NHR2024
OUTLINE
• Types of muscle
• Properties of muscle tissue
• Function of muscle
• Skeletal muscle
• Muscle cell and tissue
• Gross anatomy of skeletal muscle
• Microscopic anatomy of muscle fibre
• Microscopic anatomy of myofibril & sarcomere
• Excitation contraction coupling
• Sliding filament theory
• Contraction of muscle
• Classification of skeletal muscle
• Attachment of muscle
Types of Muscle Tissue:

Muscle Skeletal Cardiac Smooth

1.Location Attached to Form the heart Wall of hollow
skeletal/bone organ
2.Structure striated Striated & Non striated
branching
3.No. of Nucleus Multinucleated Uni-nucleated Uni-nucleated
(many nuclease) (single nucleus) (single nucleus)
4.Shape Tubular in shape Tubular & Spindle/ rod
branches
5.Control Voluntary (control Involuntary Involuntary
by brain) (autonomic) (autonomic)

Skeletal muscle Cardiac muscle
• has slriated, tubular, multinucleated fibers. • has str ated, tubular, branc ed.
• is usually attached lo skeleton. uninucleated fibers.
• fs voluntary. • OOCtJrs in waits of heart.
• Is involuntary.
Smooth muscle
• has narrow, tapered rod-shaped cells.
• has nonstriated, uninucteated fibers.
• occurs in walls of internal organs and
blood vessels.
• is Involuntary.
Functional Characteristics / Basic
Properties of Muscle Tissue:
1. Excitability (Irritability)
• The capability to received and respond to a stimulus

2. Contractility
• The ability to contract or shorten

3. Extensibility
• The ability to be stretched

4. Elasticity
• The ability to return to its original shape after being
stretched or contracted
Muscle Functions:

4 important functions:

• Produce movement
• Maintain posture
• Stabilize joints
• Generate heat
SKELETAL MUSCLE
Gross Anatomy of Skeletal Muscle:
• Skeletal muscle tissue is composed of individual cells
called muscle fibers
• Muscle fibers (cells) are protected& strengthened by
connective tissue coverings/sheaths. Deep to
superficial :
• Endomysium
• Perimysium & Fascicles
• Epimysium
Connective tissue coverings
• muscle =are group of fascicles
• Fascicles = are groups of muscle fibers

• A sheath of connective tissue called

• endomysium covers each muscle fiber,
• perimysium covers each fascicle
• epimysium covers muscles

• Muscle are supplied with blood by arteries and nerves

(motor neurons)
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle Fiber:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/human-biology/muscles/v/anatomy-
of-a-muscle-cell
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle Fiber:
• Myofibrils are contractile elements that occupy most of
the cell volume.

• Their banded appearance results from a regular

alternation dark (A) and light (I) bands.

• Myofibrils are chains of sarcomere; each sarcomere

contains thick (myosin) and thin (actin) myofilaments
arranged in a regular array.
• The plasma membrane of muscle fibers is called
the sarcolemma
• The cytoplasm is referred to as sarcoplasm

• The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is a system of

membranous tubules surrounding each myofibril. Its
function is to release & then store the calcium ions.

• T tubules are invaginations of the sarcolemma that run

between the terminal cistern of the SR. They allow the
electrical stimulus to be delivered quickly to deep cell
regions.
Sarcomere
Sarcomere
• Each individual sarcomere is flanked by dense protein
discs called Z lines, which hold the myofilaments in place
• The centre of the sarcomere appears darker due to the
overlap of both actin and myosin filaments (A band)
• The peripheries of the sarcomere appear lighter as only
actin is present in this region (I band)
• The dark A band may also contain a slightly lighter central
region where only the myosin is present (H zone)
Myofilaments: Actin & myosin
Physiology of a Skeletal Muscle Fiber

• Regulation of skeletal muscle cell/fiber contraction

involves:
• 1. Generation and transmission of an action potential
(electrical current) along the sarcolemma
• 2. Excitation-contraction coupling
• Skeletal muscle cells are stimulated by motor neurons.
The axon of each motor neuron divides profusely as it
enters the muscle.
Excitation contraction coupling
Excitation-contraction coupling
• Each axonal ending forms a branching neuromuscular junction with a single
muscle fiber.
• An end plate potential is set up when neurotransmitter acetycholine (ACh)
released by a nerve ending binds to Ach receptors on the sarcolemma, causing
changes in membrane permeability that allow ion flows that deplolarize the
membrane at the motor end plate. Video:
https://jhs.jisd.org/apps/video/watch.jsp?v=95237

• In excitation-contraction coupling, the action potential ( impulse) is propagated

down the T tubules, causing calcium to be released from the SR into the cell
interior.

• Sliding of the filaments is triggered by rise in intracellular calcium ion level.

• Troponin binding of calcium moves tropomyosin away from myosin binding
sites on actin, allowing cross bridge.

• Myosin ATPases split ATP, which energizes the working strokes and is necessary
for bridge detachment.
• Cross bridge activity ends when calcium is pumped back into the SR.
Sliding Filament Model of Contraction:

• Thin filaments are pulled toward the sarcomere centers by

cross bridge (myosin head) activity of the thick filaments.
• Regulation of skeletal muscle cell/fiber contraction
involves:
• generation & transmission of an action potential (electrical current)
along the sarcolemma.
• excitation-contraction coupling
Sliding filament theory
Contraction of a Skeletal Muscle:
• A motor unit is one motor neuron & all the muscle cells it
innervates.

• The neuron ‘s axon has several branches, each of which forms

a neuromuscular junction with one muscle cell.

• The respond of a motor unit to a single action potential of its

motor neuron is called a muscle twitch.

• Isotonic contractions occur when the muscle shortens

(concentric contraction) or lengthens (eccentric
contraction) as the load is moved.

• Isometric contractions occur when muscle tension produces

but the muscle does not shortens or lengthens.
Classification of Muscles
1. Agonist (prime mover)

• A muscle that is primarily responsible for producing a

movement
• Eg. Elbow flexion (Biceps brachii & Brachialis)

2. Antagonist
• A muscle that opposes or reverse the movement of a
prime mover
• Eg. Elbow flxion (Triceps brachii)
3. Synergist
• A muscle that complements the action of a prime mover
(stabilizing joints)
• Eg. Elbow flexion (Brachioradialis & pronator teres)

4. Fixator (postural)
• A muscle that provides a stable base for the action of the
prime mover (When synergist function to immobilize a
bone or a muscle’s origin)
Attachment of Muscles

• Origin
- The end of a muscle attached to the bone that does not
move

• Insertion
- The point of attachment of the muscle on the bone that
moves
Major Skeletal muscle of the Body:
• Muscle of the Head; Anterior Neck & Throat; Vertebral
Column; Thorax; Abdominal wall; Pelvic Floor &
Perineum; Shoulder Joint; Elbow Joint; Forearm; Hand;
Hip & Knee Joints; Leg; and Foot.
Anterior and posterior muscles
• Test your understanding
• https://quizlet.com/353018501/posterior-muscles-diagram/
• https://www.khanacademy.org/science/health-and-
medicine/human-anatomy-and-physiology/introduction-to-
muscles/e/introductory-muscular-quiz
• https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-
school/story.php?title=skeletal-muscle-structure_2