Chapter 4 Muscle Tissues

Question 1

Skeletal Muscle

Answer 1

Function: posture, heat production (shivering), voluntary movement

• voluntary (we can control this muscle)
• striated (it appears striped under the microscope)
• multinucleated (many nuclei per cell)
• long parallel muscle cells
• Limited regeneration

Question 2

Smooth Muscle

Answer 2

• tapered cells (your book calls these spindle shaped)
• one centrally located nucleus per cell
• involuntary (this muscle is located around blood vessels, bronchioles, and inside abdominal organs)
• no striations (these cells do not appear striped under the microscope).
• good regenerate

Question 3

Cardiac Muscle

Answer 3

• cells that look like trees (branched)
• One to two nuclei centrally located
• Striations (striped)
• Involuntary
• Intercalated discs: These are just cell junctions. They mark where one cell ends and the next one begins. Remember that these are both gap junctions -allowing for communication-and desmosomes - “spot-welding” between cells.
• do not regenerate