Muscular System

Muscles are responsible for all types of body movement Three basic muscle types are found in the body
– they contract or shorten and are the machine of the  Skeletal muscle
body.  Cardiac muscle
 Smooth muscle

Function of Muscles
1. Support the body
2. Allow for movement by making bones and other body
parts move
3. Maintain constant body temperature
Properties of Muscles
4. Assist in movement of cardiovascular veins and lymph
5. Protect internal organs and stabilize joints

Properties of Muscles
 Irritability
 Contractility
 Extensibility
 Elasticity
Organization of Skeletal Muscle Coverings from largest to smallest
Epimysium – covers the entire skeletal muscle
Perimysium – surrounds a bundle of muscle fibers
(fascicle)
Endomysium – surrounds a single muscle fiber (cell)

Coverings of a Skeletal Muscle

 Skeletal muscles are organs
o They contain muscle fibers, nerves, and
blood vessels
o Connective tissue membranes separate
each muscle structure
 Fascia – layer of fibrous tissue that separates muscle
from each other and from the skin
(superficial, deep, subserous)

Structure of Skeletal Muscle

o Associated Connective Tissue
 Endomysium
 Perimysium
 Epimysium
 Facia
Muscle Group based on their Actions Structure of a Skeletal Muscle Fibers
 Synergistic o Sarolemma – a specialized plasma membrane
o Prime Movers o Sarcoplasmic reticulum – specialized smooth
o Fixators endoplasmic reticulum involved in muscle
 Antagonistic contraction

Myofibril

 Bundles of myofilaments
 Myofibrils are aligned to give distinct bands
Muscle types by Fiber Arrangement o Light band = I band
 Parallel o Dark band = A band
 Convergent
 Sphincteral Sarcomere
 Pennate  Contractile unit of a muscle fiber
 Unipennate  Organization of the sarcomere
 Bipennate
 Multipinnate Thick filaments = myosin protein
Thin filaments = actin protein
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Muscle
 Neural Pathways
o Motor neurons
o Sensory neurons

Microscopic Anatomy of Muscle Fiber (Muscle Cell)

o Cells are multinucleate
o Nuclei are just beneath the membrane

 Myosin and actin overlap somewhat in the

sarcomere
 Myosin filaments have heads (extensions) that can
grab onto actin forming a crossbridge
Step 2: Neurotransmitter causes the
muscle cell membrane gates to open

Step 3: Ions (Na+ & K+) exchange places

causing the sarcoplasmic reticulum to
release Ca2+

Step 4: This release of Ca+ starts the

muscle contraction as the actin filaments
slide past the myosin filaments

The Sliding Filament Theory of Muscle

Contraction

Physiology of Muscle Contraction Sliding Filament Model - a muscle

 Skeletal muscles must be stimulated by a nerve contracts when the thin filament in the
(motor neuron) to contact muscle fiber slides over the thick filament
 Activated by ATP and calcium (Ca+) ions

The Sliding Filament Theory of Muscle Contraction

1) An influx of Ca2+ causes thick myosin filaments

to form crossbridges with the thin actin filament
by exposing the binding site on actin
2) The crossbridges change shape as it pulls on
filaments which slides towards the center of the
Transmission of Nerve Impulse to Muscle sacromere in the power stroke
Step 1: Nerve releases a neurotransmitter  The distance between the Z line decreases,
(acetylcholine) shortening the muscle.
3) The crossbridges detach from the actin filament
when ATP bonds to myosin head.
4) The myosin head gets ready to bond to actin

 The cycle is repeated on another site of

again using ATP energy

actin filament using the stored ATP energy

Contraction of a Skeletal Muscle  1 glucose = 36 ATP
 Muscle fiber contraction is “all or none”
 Within a skeletal muscle, not all fibers may be Anaerobic Respiration/ Fermentation
stimulated during the same interval Reaction that breaks down glucose without oxygen
 Different combinations of muscle fiber  Used for activities lasting 30 – 60 seconds
 contractions may give differing responses  Anaerobic (no oxygen)
 Graded responses – different degrees of  Reaction: Glucose → pyruvic acid + 2 ATP → lactic
 skeletal muscle shortening acid
o Rapid stimulus = constant contraction or tetanus  Lactic acid is also produced and causes pain in the
 Muscle force depends upon the number of fibers muscle
stimulated o Heavy breathing after exercise is a sign of
o More fibers contracting results in greater oxygen deficiency
muscle tension o A marathon runner is exhausted after
 Muscles can continue to contract unless they run crossing the finish line because they have
out of ATP or Ca2+ depleted not only their oxygen but their
o One molecule of ATP supplies enough energy for glucose as well
one actin and myosin cross-bridge o It takes up to two days to replace all of the
glucose in the muscles and glycogen in the
Energy for Muscle Contraction liver
Muscles use stored ATP for energy
 Bonds of ATP are broken to release energy
 Only 4-6 seconds worth of ATP is stored by muscles
Three ways for muscle to make energy (ATP)

Creatine Phosphate
Creatine phosphate is a high-energy compound and is
the fastest way to make ATP available for muscles
 Used for activities lasting < 15 seconds
Anaerobic (no oxygen needed)
 Reaction: Creatine phosphate + ADP creatine + ATP
 Creatine phosphate is made when a muscle is at rest

Cellular Respiration
Mitochondria use glucose molecules to make ATP in the
presence of oxygen
o Provides most of a muscle’s ATP
 Aerobic (needs oxygen)
 Used for activities lasting hours
 Reaction: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP
energy
Muscles and Body Movements
Movement is attained due to a muscle moving an
attached bone
Muscles are attached to at least two points
Insertion – attachment to a moveable bone
Origin – attachment to an immovable bone

Types of Ordinary Body Movements

Flexion – decreases angle of joint and brings two bones
closer together
Extension- increases angle of joint
Naming of Skeletal Muscles
Direction of muscle fibers
 Example: rectus (straight), orbicularis (circular)
Relative size of the muscle
 Example: maximus (largest), minimus (smallest),
longus (long), brevis (short)
Location of the muscle
 Example: pectoralis (chest), external (outside),
frontalis (frontal)
Number of origins
 Example: triceps (three heads)
Location of the muscles origin and insertion
 Example: sterno (on the sternum)
Shape of the muscle
 Example: deltoid (triangular)
Rotation- movement of a bone in longitudinal axis, Action of the muscle
shaking head “no”  Example: flexor and extensor (flexes or extends
Abduction – moving away from the midline a bone)
Adduction – moving toward the midline Effects of Aging on Muscles
Circumduction - cone-shaped movement, proximal end 1. Muscles that are not used are replaced by connective
doesn’t move, while distal end moves in a circle. tissue then by fat
2. With age comes degeneration of mitochondria due to
exposure to oxygen and free radicals
3. Changes in the nervous system and endocrine system
also effect structure and function of muscles
4. Muscles become weaker as we age but
exercise can stimulate muscle build-up

Disorders relating to the Muscular System

Muscular Dystrophy: inherited, muscle enlarge due to
increased fat and connective tissue, but fibers
degenerate and atrophy
Duchenne MD: lacking a protein to maintain the
sarcolemma
Myasthemia Gravis: progressive weakness due to a
shortage of acetylcholine receptors

Sprain verses Strain

Strain – overstretching of a muscle near a joint
Types of Muscles Sprain – twisting of a joint leading to swelling and injury
Muscles work in opposing pairs to ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and nerves
Ex. Biceps (flexion of arm) and Triceps (extension of
arm) Myalgia and Tendinitis
Myalgia – inflammation of muscle tissue (arthritis on
 Synergist – muscle that helps a prime mover in a
 Prime mover – muscle that does most of the work
previous slide)
movement Tendinitis – inflammation of the tendon due to strain of
 Antagonist – muscle that opposes or reverses a repeated activity
prime mover