The Muscles Flashcards
When you think of muscles, you might picture a bodybuilder with big, bulging arm and chest muscles. But your muscles do not have to look like that to work well. Every time you write your name, you use the twenty different muscles in your hand. Every time your heart beats, you use your cardiac muscle. When you chew your food, you use your tongue muscles. You’re even using muscles when you blink your eyes. In fact, every time you move, you are using some of the amazing muscles in your body.
A muscle is made of tiny fibers. Fiber is a type of tissue that feels a
little like a rubber band. Thousands of these fibers are packed together to make a single muscle. We all have the same number of muscles—around 700 or so. Men and women with extra-big muscles simply have thicker bundles of fibers.
There are three different types of muscles. Smooth muscles are ones you cannot control. They work behind-the-scenes to keep your body running. Smooth muscles include the ones that help you digest your food. The cardiac muscle makes the heart pump blood in and out. Skeletal muscle is the kind you can control. These are the muscles you use to raise your hand, swim laps, or ride your scooter. Usually, a skeletal muscle is attached to the end of a bone. Muscles and bones work together to give your body power, strength, and movement. In fact, every year, your leg muscles help you take about five-million steps!
Even your face uses muscles. But if you want to save your energy, try smiling instead of frowning. It takes seventeen muscles in your face to smile, but forty-three muscles to frown!
When you think of muscles, you might picture a bodybuilder with big, bulging arm and chest muscles. But your muscles do not have to look like that to work well. Every time you write your name, you use the twenty different muscles in your hand. Every time your heart beats, you use your cardiac muscle. When you chew your food, you use your tongue muscles. You’re even using muscles when you blink your eyes. In fact, every time you move, you are using some of the amazing muscles in your body.
A muscle is made of tiny fibers. Fiber is a type of tissue that feels a
little like a rubber band. Thousands of these fibers are packed together to make a single muscle. We all have the same number of muscles—around 700 or so. Men and women with extra-big muscles simply have thicker bundles of fibers.
There are three different types of muscles. Smooth muscles are ones you cannot control. They work behind-the-scenes to keep your body running. Smooth muscles include the ones that help you digest your food. The cardiac muscle makes the heart pump blood in and out. Skeletal muscle is the kind you can control. These are the muscles you use to raise your hand, swim laps, or ride your scooter. Usually, a skeletal muscle is attached to the end of a bone. Muscles and bones work together to give your body power, strength, and movement. In fact, every year, your leg muscles help you take about five-million steps!
Even your face uses muscles. But if you want to save your energy, try smiling instead of frowning. It takes seventeen muscles in your face to smile, but forty-three muscles to frown!
Which statement is true?
a. Muscles in your brain help you think.
b. All of your muscles are attached to bones.
c. Muscles help you digest food.
d. All of these statements are true.
c. Muscles help you digest food.
What are muscle fibers?

Fibers are tiny tissues that feel like rubber bands. Thousands of fibers make up each muscle in your body.
How are smooth muscles different from skeletal muscles?
Smooth muscles are muscles that you cannot control. Skeletal muscles are the ones you can control.
Number of muscles it takes to frown
43
Number of muscles it takes to smile
17
Number of muscles in your body
700
Number of steps you take in a year
5 million
Number of muscles you use to write
20
