Muscular System Flashcards
Muscular System Function
Moves the body, maintains posture, and supports breathing and digestion.
How many muscles?
About 700 Muscles
Skeletal Muscles
Voluntary, attached to bones, helps us move.
Smooth Muscles
Involuntary, control internal processes (e.g., digestion).
Cardiac Muscles
Involuntary, found only in the heart.
Concentric
Muscle shortens (lifting a dumbbell).
Eccentric
Muscle lengthens (lowering a dumbbell).
Isometric
Muscle holds tension but doesn’t change length (plank).
Agonist (Prime Mover)
The muscle that contracts to create movement.
Antagonist
The muscle that relaxes to allow movement.
Reciprocal Inhibition
When one muscle contracts (agonist), the other relaxes (antagonist).
↑ Blood flow
More oxygen sent to muscles.
↑ Enzyme activity
Faster energy production.
↑ Motor unit recruitment
More muscle fibers activated.
