The Muscular System

Specialized tissue that enable the

body and its parts to move.
Anterior View
Posterior View
TRIVIA!
 How many muscles are there in the human body?
 Answer: 640 Muscles
 The muscles make up about 40 % of the body mass.

 What is the longest muscle in the body?

 Answer: The Sartorius
 The Sartorius runs from the outside of the hip, down and across to the
inside of the knee. It twists and pulls the thigh outwards.

 What is the smallest muscle in the body?

 Answer: The Stapedius
 The Stapedius is located deep in the ear. It is only 5mm long and thinner
than cotton thread. It is involved in hearing.

 What is the biggest muscle in the body?

 Answer: The Gluteus Maximus
 The Gluteus Maximus is located in the buttock. It pulls the leg
backwards powerfully for walking and running.
Functions of the Muscles
 Movement
 Maintenance of posture and muscle
tone
 Heat production
 Protects the bones and internal
organs.
Muscle Classification
 Functionally
 Voluntarily – can be moved at will
 Involuntarily – can’t be moved
intentionally

 Structurally
 Striated – have stripes across the fiber
 Smooth – no striations
The 3 Types of Muscles

3 T y p e s o f M u s c le s

S k e le t a l M u s c le S m o o t h M u s c le C a r d ia c M u s c le
Smooth Muscle
 Fibers are thin
and spindle
shaped.
 No striations
 Single nuclei
 Involuntary
 Contracts slowly
Smooth Muscle
 They fatigue… but very slowly
 Found in the circulatory system
 Lining of the blood vessels
 Helps in the circulation of the blood
 Found in the digestive system
 Esophagus, stomach, intestine
 Controls digestion
 Found in the respiratory system
 Controls breathing
 Found in the urinary system
 Urinary bladder
 Controls urination
Cardiac Muscle
 Cells are branched
and appear fused
with one another
 Has striations
 Each cell has a
central nuclei
 Involuntary
Cardiac Muscle
 Found ONLY in the heart
 Contractions of the heart muscles
pump blood throughout the body and
account for the heartbeat.
 Healthy cardiac muscle NEVER
fatigues  or else…
Skeletal Muscle
 Fibers are long and
cylindrical
 Has many nuclei
 Has striations
 Have alternating
dark and light bands
 Voluntary
Skeletal Muscle
 Attached to skeleton by tendons
 Causes movement of bones at the
joints.
 And yes… they do fatigue
 Muscle fatigue activity  what
substance forms causing muscle
fatigue???
Functions of Skeletal Muscle
 Movement – muscle move bones by
pulling not pushing.
 Synergists – any movement is generally
accomplished by more than one muscle. All
of the muscles responsible for the movement
are synergists.
 The one that is most responsible for the
movement is the Prime Mover (agonist).
Functions of Skeletal Muscle
 Movement
 Antagonists – muscles and muscle groups
usually work in pairs
– example the biceps flex your arm and its
partner the triceps extend your arm. The two
muscles are antagonists, i.e. cause opposite
actions.
– when one contracts the other relaxes.
 Levators – muscle that raise a body part.
Functions of Skeletal Muscle
 Maintenance of posture or muscle tone
 We are able to maintain our body position because
of tonic contractions in our skeletal muscles. These
contractions don’t produce movement yet hold our
muscles in position.

 Heat production – contraction of muscles

produces most of the heat required to maintain
body temperature.
Structure of Skeletal Muscle
 Composed of striated muscle cells (=muscle
fibers) and connective tissue.
 Most muscles attach to 2 bones that have a
moveable joint between them.
 The attachment to the bone that does not move is the
origin.
 The attachment to the bone that moves is the insertion.
 Tendons anchor muscle firmly to bones. Tendons
are made of dense fibrous connective tissue.
 Ligaments connect bone to bone at a joint.
Structure of Skeletal Muscle
 Bursae – small fluid filled sacs that lie
between some tendons and the bones
beneath them. They are made of
connective tissue and are lined with
synovial membrane that secretes synovial
fluid.
Structure of Skeletal Muscle
 Contribution of the nervous system
 Electrochemical impulses travel from the
frontal lobes of the cerebrum via motor
nerves to the muscle fibers and cause them
to contract.
 Sensation is a function of the brain –
impulses are integrated in the parietal lobes
of the cerebrum (conscious muscle sense)
and in the cerebellum (unconscious). These
activities promote coordination.
Structure of Skeletal Muscle
 Microscopic anatomy
 Muscle cells (fibers) are grouped in a highly
organized way in the muscle. The membrane that
surrounds the muscle cell is called the sarcolemma.
 Muscle cells are filled with 2 types of fine threadlike
proteins called myofilaments: myosin (thick) and
actin (thin). These structures slide past each other
causing the muscle cell to contract or shorten.
 The myofilaments are arranged in the cells in small
units called sarcomeres.
Structure of Skeletal Muscle
 Neuromuscular junction
 Spot where the axon of a motor nerve nears
the muscle fiber.
 The axon terminal does not touch the muscle
but comes close. The space between the
axon and the muscle cell is called the
synapse.
 Within the terminal end of the axon are small
sacs filled with a neurotransmitter called
acetylcholine.
Muscle Contraction
 Sequence
 Electrical impulse travels down a motor
neuron. When it reaches the end,
acetylcholine (chemical) is released into the
synapse.
 Acetylcholine bind to special receptors on
the muscle cell and causes an electrical
impulse to spread over the cell.
 The sarcomeres shorten and the muscle cell
contracts.
MUSCLE

MYOFIBRIL

MUSCLE
FIBER

SARCOMERE
Sarcomere

Z A Z A Z

Z Z Z
Movement of Muscles
origin
 Origin: the attachment of
the muscle to the bone
that remains stationary
 Insertion: the attachment belly
of the muscle to the bone
that moves
 Belly: the fleshy part of
the muscle between the insertion
tendons of origin and/or
insertion
Movement of skeletal muscle
 These muscles move when the brain
sends messages to the muscle
 Always work in pairs
 2 movements of skeletal muscle
 Contraction (shorten)
 Extension (lengthen)
Categories of
skeletal muscle actions
 Categories Actions
 Extensor Increases the angle at a joint
 Flexor Decreases the angle at a joint
 Abductor Moves limb away from midline of body
 Adductor Moves limb toward midline of body
 Levator Moves insertion upward
 Depressor Moves insertion downward
 Rotator Rotates a bone along its axis
 Sphincter Constricts an opening
Practice these Movements
1. Bend arm
- biceps  contract
- triceps  extend
2. Straighten arm
- biceps  extend
- triceps  contract
3. Bend knee
- quadriceps  extend
- hamstrings  contract
More Movements
4. Straighten knee
- quadriceps  contract
- hamstrings  extend
5. Crunches
- abdomen  contract
- back muscles  extend
7. Point toes
- calf muscle  contract
- shin muscle  extend
Naming Skeletal Muscles
 Location of the muscle
 Shape of the muscle
 Relative Size of the muscle
 Direction/Orientation of the muscle fibers/
cells
 Number of Origins
 Location of the Attachments
 Action of the muscle
Muscles Named by Location
 Epicranius
(around cranium)

 Tibialis anterior tibialis

(front of tibia) anterior
Naming Skeletal Muscles
Trapezius
 Shape:
 deltoid (triangle)
Deltoid
 trapezius (trapezoid, 2
parallel sides)
 serratus (saw-
toothed)
 rhomboideus
(rhomboid, 4 parallel
sides) Rhomboideus
 orbicularis and major
sphincters (circular)
Serratus anterior
Muscles Named by Size
Psoas
 maximus (largest) minor
 minimis (smallest)
Psoas
 longus (longest) major
 brevis (short)
 major (large)
 minor (small)
Muscles Named by
Direction of Fibers
 Rectus (straight)
–parallel to long Rectus
axis abdominis
 Transverse
 Oblique
External
oblique
Muscles Named for
Number of Origins

Biceps
brachii
 Biceps (2)

 Triceps (3)

 Quadriceps (4)
Muscles Named for Origin and
Insertion
Sternocleidomastoid
originates from
sternum and clavicle insertion
and inserts on
mastoid process of
temporal bone

origins
Muscles Named for Action
 Flexor carpi radialis
(extensor carpi radialis)
– flexes wrist

 Abductor pollicis brevis

(adductor pollicis) Adductor
– flexes thumb magnus
 Abductor magnus
– abducts thigh

 Extensor digitorum
– extends fingers
Arrangement of Fascicles

 Parallel
 strap-like
 ex: sartorius

 Fusiform
 spindle shaped
 ex: biceps femoris
Arrangement of Fascicles
 Pennate
 "feather shaped”

 Unipennate
 ex: extensor
digitorum longus

 Bipennate
 ex: rectus femoris

 Multipennate
 ex: deltoid
Arrangement of Fascicles
 Convergent
 ex: pectoralis
major

 Circular
 sphincters
 ex: orbicularis oris
There are about 60 muscles in the face.
Smiling is easier than
frowning.
It takes 20 muscles to smile and over 40 to frown.

Smile and make someone happy.