The Muscular system

Yosef Tadesse

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Introduction
• The muscular system and muscular tissue contribute to
homeostasis by
– producing movements
– stabilizing body position
– regulating organ volume
– moving substances within the body
– producing heat
• Muscle is highly cellular, well-vascularized tissue
• Muscle provides contractile force by shortening
• There are three kinds of muscle tissue
– Skeletal muscle
– Cardiac muscle
– Smooth muscle
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Function
• Body movement
– Most skeletal muscles are attached to bones, are
typically under conscious control, and are responsible for
most body movements including walking, running, or
manipulating objects with the hands
• Maintenance of posture
– Skeletal muscles constantly maintain tone, which keeps us
sitting or standing erect
• Respiration
– Muscles of the thorax are responsible for the movements
necessary for respiration
• Production of body heat
– When skeletal muscles contract, heat is given off as a by-
product. This released heat is critical to the maintenance
of body temperature. 3
• Communication
– Skeletal muscles are involved in all aspects of
communication, such as speaking, writing, typing,
gesturing, and facial expression
• Constriction of organs and vessels
– The contraction of smooth muscle within the walls
of internal organs and vessels causes constriction
of those structures
– This constriction can help propel and mix food and
water in the digestive tract, propel secretions from
organs, and regulate blood flow through vessels
• Heart beat
– The contraction of cardiac muscle causes the heart
to beat, propelling blood to all parts of the body

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• Muscle tissues differ in
– the structure of their cells
– their body location
– their function
– the means by which they are activated to
contract
• Muscle cells are elongated and are
referred to as muscle fibers
• Prefixes of myo or mys and sarco refer
to muscle

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Functional Characteristics
• Excitability or irritability: the ability to
respond to a stimulus
• Contractility: the ability to shorten
• Extensibility: the ability to stretch
• Elasticity: the ability to resume normal
length after being shortened or
contracted

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Skeletal muscles of the
body

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Attachments
• Most muscles span joints and have at least two
attachments
• Origin
– Attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during
muscular contraction
– Generally a more proximal or axial location
• Insertion
– Attachment of a muscle that moves during muscular
contraction
– Generally a more distal or appendicular attachment
• Direct attachments have the epimysium attaching
directly to the periosteum of the bone or
perichondrium of a cartilage
• Indirect attachments have the epimysium attaching to
a tendon or an aponeurosis
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Interactions of Skeletal Muscles

• Muscle contraction causes shortening, not

lengthening of a muscle
• Typically, as a muscle contracts it moves
its insertion toward its origin
– only pull on the skeleton; they can never push
• The arrangement of body muscles permits
them to work either together or in
opposition to achieve a movement
• Generally muscles are grouped to “undo” an
action done by another group
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Functional Muscle Groups
• Muscles can be classified into four
functional groups
– Prime movers (agonists)
– Antagonists
– Synergists
– Fixators

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Prime Movers (agonist)
• A muscle that
provides the
major force for
producing a
specific movement
• E.g. biceps brachii
is the prime
mover of elbow
flexion
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Antagonist
• Muscles that oppose a
particular movement
• When a prime mover is
active, the antagonist
muscles are often
stretched or in
relaxed state
• Antagonists also
regulate the action of
prime mover

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Synergist
• Synergists aid agonists by
– promoting the same movement
– Eg: brachialis is a synergist in elbow
flexion
– reducing extraneous movements that
may be produced when the prime mover
acts
• In two joint muscles synergists stabilize a
joint as the muscle acts on the other
• Synergist can also restrict rotary
movement at a joint so the muscle’s full
effort be applied to the desired movement
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Fixator
• Serves to stabilize
the bone upon which
a prime mover acts
• E.g. Serratus
anterior holds the
scapula against the
thorax while a prime
mover acts upon the
arm
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 Naming Skeletal Muscles
• Shape: relative shape of the muscle
– Deltoid: Triangular e.g. Deltoid
– Trapezius: Trapezoid e.g. Trapezius
– Serratus: Sawtoothed e.g. Serratus anterior
– Rhomboid: Diamond-shaped e.g. Rhomboid major
– Orbicularis: Circular e.g. Orbicularis oculi
– Pectinate: Comblike e.g. Pectineus
– Piriformis: Pear-shaped e.g. Piriformis
– Platys: Flat e.g. Platysma
– Quadratus: Square, four-sided e.g. Quadratus
femoris
– Gracilis: Slender e.g. Gracilis

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• Location : structure near which a muscle
is found
– Pectoralis: chest
– Intercostal: between ribs
– Temporalis: near the temporal bone
• Attachment: sites where muscle originates
and inserts
– Sternocleidomastoid: originating on the sternum and
clavicle and inserting on the mastoid process of the
temporal bone
• Relative position
– Medial: e.g. medial rectus
– Lateral: e.g. lateral rectus
– Internal: e.g. internal oblique
– External: e.g. external oblique 16
• Size: relative size of the muscle
– Maximus: Largest e.g. Gluteus maximus
– Minimus: Smallest e.g. Gluteus minimus
– Longus: Long e.g. Adductor longus
– Brevis: Short e.g. Adductor brevis
– Latissimus: Widest e.g. Latissimus dorsi
– Longissimus: Longest e.g. Longissimus
capitis
– Magnus: Large e.g. Adductor magnus
– Major: Larger e.g. Pectoralis major
– Minor: Smaller e.g. Pectoralis minor
– Vastus: Huge e.g. Vastus lateralis
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• Number of origins: number of tendons of origin
– Biceps: Two origins e.g. Biceps brachii
– Triceps: Three origins e.g. Triceps brachii
– Quadriceps: Four origins e.g. Quadriceps
femoris
• Direction: orientation of muscle fascicles
relative to the body’s midline
– Rectus: Parallel to midline e.g. Rectus
abdominis
– Transverse: Perpendicular to midline e.g.
Transversus abdominis
– Oblique: Diagonal to midline e.g. External
oblique
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• Action: principal action of the muscle
– Flexor: Decreases a joint angle e.g. Flexor carpi radialis
– Extensor: Increases a joint angle e.g. Extensor carpi ulnaris
– Abductor: Moves a bone away from the midline e.g. Abductor
pollicis longus
– Adductor: Moves a bone closer to the midline e.g. Adductor
longus
– Levator: Raises or elevates a body part e.g. Levator scapulae
– Depressor: Lowers or depresses a body part e.g. Depressor labii
inferioris
– Supinator: Turns palm anteriorly e.g. Supinator
– Pronator: Turns palm posteriorly e.g. Pronator teres
– Sphincter: Decreases the size of an opening e.g. External anal
sphincter
– Tensor: Makes a body part rigid e.g. Tensor fasciae latae
– Rotator: Rotates a bone around its longitudinal axis e.g.
Rotatore
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Arrangement of Fascicles

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Parallel
• The long axis of the fascicles run
parallel to the long axis of the muscle
• Terminate at either end in flat tendons
• Form long strap like muscles that have
greatest potential for shortening
• Not very powerful

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Fusiform
• Fascicles nearly parallel to longitudinal
axis of muscle
• Terminate in flat tendons
• Muscle tapers toward tendons, where
diameter is less than at belly

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Pennate
• Short fascicles in relation to total muscle
length; attach obliquely to a central tendon
which extends nearly entire length of muscle
• Occur as 3 forms
(a) Unipennate
(b) Bipennate
(c) Multipennate
• Have highest concentration of fibers, shorten
little, but are very powerful

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• Unipennate: fascicles are arranged on only one
side of tendon
• Bipennate: fascicles are arranged on both
sides of centrally positioned tendons
• Multipennate: fascicles attach obliquely from
many directions to several tendons

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Convergent
• Fascicles spread over
broad area converge at
thick central tendon
• Has a broad origin and its
fascicles converge toward
a single tendon
• Triangular shape
• Can act upon the joint
from a variety of positions

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Circular
• Fascicular pattern is
arranged in concentric
rings
• Surround external body
openings which they
close by contracting
• This type of muscles are
called sphincters

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