Muscle and Muscle Tissue Flashcards
Muscle Tissue
- nearly half of body’s mass
- capable of transforming chemical energy (ATP) into directed mechanical energy
- mechanical energy is capable of exerting force
3 types of muscle tissue
- skeletal
- smooth
- cardiac
*both skeletal and smooth muscle cells are elongated and referred to as “muscle fibers”
skeletal muscle tissue - voluntary muscle
- organs attached to bones and skin
- longest and have striations
- contract rapidly and powerfully but tire easily
- remarkably adaptable
- subject to conscious control and voluntary movement
cardiac muscle tissue
- only in heart; makes up bulk of heart walls
- striated
- involuntarily controlled; contracts @ steady rate due to heart’s own pacemaker
- nervous system can alter heart rate, but it is not consciously controlled
Four characteristics of all muscle tissue
- excitability (responsiveness)
- contractibility
- extensibility
- elasticity
excitability (responsiveness)
ability to receive/respond to stimuli by changing its membrane potential
contractibility
ability to forcibly shorten when stimulated
extensibility
ability to stretch or extend - even beyond resting length
elasticity
ability to recoil to resting length
four functions of muscle tissue
- produce movement
- locomotion & manipulation
- contraction of the heart
- blood vessel dilation/constriction
- movement of all fluids/substances
through tracts
- maintain posture and body position
- stabilize joints
- generate heat
anatomy and features of a skeletal muscle
each skeletal muscle is an organ made of different tissues
features
- nerve and blood supply
- connective tissue sheaths
- attachments
nerve and blood supply
- each muscle receives a nerve, arteries, and veins
- consciously controlled skeletal muscle have nerves supplying every muscle fiber
- contracting muscle requires huge amounts of oxygen and nutrients + quick removal of waste
- cellular respiration: C6H12O6 + 6O2 –> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP
connective tissue sheaths
every skeletal muscle and muscle fiber is covered in connective tissue
- support muscle cells and reinforce whole muscle
- become the tendons that join muscles to bones
3 parts:
- epimysium
- perimysium
- endomysium
epimysium (connective tissue sheath)
most external; dense irregular connective tissue surrounding the entire muscle; may blend with fascia
perimysium (connective tissue sheath)
fibrous connective tissue surrounding fascicles (groups of muscle fibers)