MUSCULAR SYSTEM

By
NUMFOR ROSHINA.
Med 4
FHS UBa
PLAN
• Introduction
• Characteristics of muscular system
• Functions of muscular system
• Properties
• Classification of muscles
• Nerve and blood supply
• Basic features of skeletal muscle
INTRODUCTION
• Muscular System is an organ system which consists of
Skeletal, Smooth and Cardiac Muscles.
• Muscular System in all vertebrates controlled by Nervous
System, but cardiac muscles are fully autonomous.
• Together with the Skeletal System it forms the Musculoskeletal
system which is responsible for the movement of the Human
Body.
CHARACTERISTICS
• Muscles are elongated having muscle fibres as their muscle cells.
• Contraction of muscle is due to movement of filaments (actin and
myosin).
• Tendons attached muscles to bone.
• Aponeurosis are flatter tendons.
FUNCTIONS OF THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM

Through sustained contraction or alternating contraction and

relaxation, muscular tissue has four key functions:
1. producing body movements,
2. stabilizing body positions,
3. storing and moving substances within the body, and
4. generating heat (thermogenesis).
PROPERTIES OF MUSCLE
Muscular tissue has four special properties that enable it to function and
contribute to homeostasis
1. Excitability : capacity of muscle to respond to stimuli by producing
electrical signals called action potentials (impulses).
2. Contractility : ability of a muscle to shorten and generate pulling force
when stimulated.
3. Extensibility : muscle can be stretched within limits, without being
damaged.
4. Elasticity : ability of muscle to recoil to original resting length and shape
after contraction or extension.
CLASSIFICATION OF MUSCLES
• There are 3 types of muscles in human muscular system
1. Skeletal
2. Smooth
3. cardiac
3 types of muscles
1.Skeletal muscle
• Location : Usually attached to bones by tendons.
• Makes up 40% of body weight
• Skeletal muscle tissue consists of long, cylindrical, striated
fibers (striations are alternating light and dark bands
within fibers that are visible under a light microscope).
• Skeletal muscle fibers vary greatly in length, from a few
centimeters in short muscles to 30–40 cm (about 12–16
inch) in the longest muscles.
• A muscle fiber is a roughly cylindrical, multinucleated cell with nuclei
at the periphery.
• Skeletal muscle is considered voluntary because it can be made to
contract or relax by conscious control controlled by somatic motor
neurons.
• Responsible for locomotion, facial expressions, posture, respiratory
movements, other types of body movement and heat production.
2. Smooth muscle
• Location : Iris of eyes; walls of hollow internal structures such as
blood vessels, airways to lungs, stomach, intestines, gallbladder,
urinary bladder, and uterus. Also in glands and skin.
• Smooth muscle tissue consists of fibres usually
- Involuntary; The action of smooth muscle is usually involuntary,
controlled involuntarily by endocrine and autonomic nervous
systems , and some smooth muscle tissue, such as the muscles
that propel food through your gastrointestinal tract, has
autorhythmicity .
- Non-striated (lack striations, hence the term smooth)
• Small spindle-shaped cell, thickest in middle, tapering at each end,
and containing a single, centrally located nucleus.
• Gap junctions connect many individual fibres in some smooth muscle
tissue (for example, in wall of intestines).
• Can produce powerful contractions as many muscle fibres contract in
unison. Where gap junctions are absent, such as iris of eye, smooth
muscle fibres contract individually, like skeletal muscle fibres
• Function : Motion (constriction of blood vessels (regulate blood flow)
and airways, propulsion of foods through gastrointestinal tract,
contraction of urinary bladder and gallbladder, dilating/constricting
pupils
3. Cardiac muscle
• Location : Heart wall
• Cardiac muscle tissue consists of fibres which are
- branched,
- striated with usually only one centrally located nucleus (occasionally two).
- Attach end to end by transverse thickenings of plasma membrane called
intercalated discs which contain desmosomes and gap junctions.
- Desmosomes strengthen tissue and hold fiibers together during vigorous
contractions.
- Gap junctions provide route for quick conduction of electrical signals
(muscle action potentials) throughout heart.
• Involuntary (not conscious) control, the heart beats because it has a
natural pacemaker (the SAN) that initiates each contraction. This
built-in rhythm is termed autorhythmicity
• Several hormones and neurotransmitters can adjust heart rate by
speeding or slowing the pacemaker.
• Function : pumps blood to all parts of the body
NERVE AND BLOOD VESSEL SUPPLY
• Motor neurons
– stimulate muscle fibers to contract.
– Neuron axons branch so that each muscle fiber (muscle cell) is
innervated.
– Form a neuromuscular junction (= myoneural junction).
• A motor neuron and all the muscle fibre that it supplies is called a
motor unit.
• Capillary beds surround muscle fibers
– Muscles require large amounts of energy.
– Extensive vascular network delivers necessary oxygen and
nutrients and carries away metabolic waste produced by muscle
fibers.
BASIC FEATURES OF A SKELETAL MUSCLE

*Muscle attachments
– Most skeletal muscles run from one
bone to another.
– One bone will move
– other bone remains fixed.
• Origin – less movable attachment.
• Insertion – more movable attachment.
*Connective tissue sheaths
Connective tissue surrounds and protects muscular tissue
1. Epimysium: Dense regular, surrounding entire muscle
• Separates muscle from surrounding tissues and organs
• Connected to the deep fascia
2. Perimysium: Collagen and elastic fibers surrounding a group of
muscle fibers called a fascicle
• Contains blood vessels and nerves
3. Endomysium: Loose connective tissue that surrounds individual
muscle fibers
• Also contains blood vessels, nerves, and satellite cells
(embryonic stem cells function in repair of muscle tissue
Collagen fibers of all 3 layers come together at each end of muscle to
form a tendon (rope-like) or aponeurosis ( when the connective tissue
elements extend as a broad, flat sheet).
• Fascia – on the outside of the epimysium, it is the hypodermis.
• Fascia
• Surrounds an individual skeletal muscle, separating it from other muscles
• Fascia may extend beyond the ends of the muscle to become a tendon
• Fascia may connect muscle to muscle and is called an aponeurosis
• Origin - the point at which the muscle attaches to a structure to provided
resistance to create movement.
• Insertion – the point at which the muscle attaches to the structure which is
moved when it contracts.
*Muscle Fiber Anatomy
• Sarcolemma : The plasma membrane of a muscle cell. The multiple nuclei
of a skeletal muscle fiber are located just beneath the sarcolemma.
• Transverse (T) tubules : Thousands of tiny invaginations of the sarcolemma
which tunnel in from the surface toward the center of each muscle fiber.
Because T tubules are open to the outside of the fiber, they are filled with
interstitial fluid.
• Sarcoplasm : cytoplasm of the muscle fibre
• Contains many of the same organelles seen in other cells
• An abundance of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin
• Contains glycogen stores and numerous amounts of mitochondria.
*Muscle Fiber Anatomy cnt’d
• Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR) : fluid-filled system of membranous sacs
• runs longitudinally and surrounds each myofibril
• Form chambers called terminal cisternae on either side of the T-
tubules
• A single T-tubule and the 2 terminal cisternae form a triad
• SR stores Ca++ when muscle not contracting
• When stimulated, calcium released into sarcoplasm
• SR membrane has Ca++ pumps that function to pump Ca++ out of the
sarcoplasm back into the SR after contraction
*Muscle Fiber Anatomy cnt’d
• Myofibrils
• cylindrical structures within muscle fiber
• Are the contractile organelles of skeletal muscle
• Are bundles of protein filaments (=myofilaments)
• Two types of myofilaments
1. Actin filaments (thin filaments)
2. Myosin filaments (thick filaments)
• At each end of the fiber, myofibrils are anchored to the inner
surface of the sarcolemma
• When myofibril shortens, muscle shortens (contracts)
*Muscle Fiber Anatomy cnt’d
• Sarcomere : The filaments inside a myofibril do not extend the
entire length of a muscle fiber. Instead, they are arranged in
compartments called sarcomeres which are the basic functional
units of a myofibril.
– About 10,000 sarcomeres per myofibril, end to end
– Each is about 2 µm long

• Narrow, plate-shaped regions of dense protein material called Z

discs separate one sarcomere from the next. Thus, a sarcomere
extends from one Z disc to the next Z disc.
Components of the sarcomere include;

• A band: a dark band; full length of thick (myosin) filament. Consist

both of actin and myosin filaments.

• I band: a light band, from Z disks to ends of thick filaments

•Thin but NO thick filaments
• Extends from A band of one sarcomere to A band of the next
sarcomere
• M line: protein to which myosins attach. Center of A band and H
zone.
• H zone: thick but NO thin filaments
• Z disk: filamentous network of protein. Serves as attachment for actin
myofilaments.
• Titin filaments: elastic chains of amino acids; keep thick and thin
filaments in proper alignment
• A band stays the same

• I band gets smaller

• H zone gets smaller

• Sarcomere shortens
• Muscle proteins: Myofibrils are built from three kinds of proteins:
1. Contractile proteins, which generate force during contraction. The two
contractile proteins in muscle are myosin and actin, components of
thick and thin filaments, respectively
• Myosin: Contractile protein that makes up thick filament; molecule
consists of a tail and two myosin heads, which bind to myosin binding
sites on actin molecules of thin filament during muscle contraction
• Actin: Contractile protein that is the main component of thin
filament; each actin molecule has a myosin-binding site where myosin
head of thick filament binds during muscle contraction.
2. Regulatory proteins, which help switch the contraction process on and off;
• Tropomyosin: Regulatory protein that is a component of thin filament;
when skeletal muscle fiber is relaxed, tropomyosin covers myosin binding
sites on actin molecules, thereby preventing myosin from binding to actin.
• Troponin: Regulatory protein that is a component of thin filament; when
calcium ions (Ca2+) bind to troponin, it changes shape; this conformational
change moves tropomyosin away from myosin-binding sites on actin
molecules, and muscle contraction subsequently begins as myosin binds to
actin. Troponin is composed of three subunits:
– Tn/ A : binds to actin
– Tn/ T :binds to tropomyosin,
– Tn/ C :binds to calcium ions.
3. Structural proteins, which keep the thick and thin filaments in the proper alignment, give the
myofibril elasticity and extensibility, and link the myofibrils to the sarcolemma and extracellular
matrix.
• Titin: Structural protein that connects Z disc to M line of sarcomere, thereby helping to stabilize
thick filament position; can stretch and then spring back unharmed, and thus accounts for much
of the elasticity and extensibility of myofbrils.
• Alpha-Actinin: Structural protein of Z discs that attaches to actin molecules of thin filaments and
to titin molecules.
• Myomesin: Structural protein that forms M line of sarcomere; binds to titin molecules and
connects adjacent thick filaments to one another.
• Nebulin: Structural protein that wraps around entire length of each thin filament; helps anchor
thin filaments to Z discs and regulates length of thin filaments during development.
• Dystrophin: Structural protein that links thin filaments of sarcomere to integral membrane
proteins in sarcolemma, which are attached in turn to proteins in connective tissue matrix that
surrounds muscle fibers; thought to help reinforce sarcolemma and help transmit tension
Parts of a skeletal Muscle
Chemical basis of muscle contraction
• Energy source- events of muscle stimulation-molecular events of
muscle contraction- events of muscle relaxation.
• Energy for muscle contraction ;
• Immediate-creatine phosphate
• Short term- lactic acid (anaerobic glycolysis)
• Long term –gluscose, fatty acids and amino acids.
• All act through the generation of ATP
Release of neurotransmitter
• Within the axon terminal are synaptic vessicles which contain the
neuritransmitter acetylcholine.
• Arrival of nerve impulse- opening of voltage gated ca2+ channels-
entry of ca2+ - fusion of synaptic vesicles- release of
neurotransmitter- binding of neurotransmitter to the sarcolemma-
depolarization.
• After binding of acetylcholine and ignition of AP, it is quickly broken
down by acetyl cholinesterase to acetic acid and choline.
• Motor end-plate
• Sarcolemma of muscle fiber directly beneath motor nerve ending
• Contains an abundance of mitochondria and nuclei
Events of muscle stimulation
• 1- conduction of nerve impulses from the CNS to the neuromuscular
junction.
• 2- depolarization of sarcolemma down to the T-tubules which
eventuates into an AP- influx of Na+
• 3-release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum
• 4- diffusion of calcium ions to actin filaments
Molecular changes during muscle contraction
• Binding of Ca2+ ions to troponin
• Troponin-Ca2+ complex removes tropomyosin blockage of actin sites.
• Heads of myosin – ATP complex form cross bridges to actin filament.
• Hydrolysis of ATP induces conformational changes in the myosin
heads.
• the myosin heads then pull the thin filament toward the center of
the sarcolemma.
Molecular changes during relaxation
• Ca2+ ions sequestered from the actin filament by sarcoplasmic
reticulum.
• Ca2+ returns to the SR
• Ca2+ released from the troponin-Ca2+ complex
• Troponin permits tropomyosin return to its blocking position
• Myosin actin cross bridges break
• This ends in relaxation
• The sequence of events is repeated when another nerve impulse
arrives the NMJ.
Sliding filament theory
• According to this theory, the force of contraction is developed by the
cross bridges in the overlap region (cross bridges are in a slanting
postion).
• The active shortening is caused by the movement of the cross bridges
which causes one filament to slide over the other.
• During which only actin filaments show movement, but the myosin
filaments remain static.
• The mechanical movement utillzes energy derived from the break
down of ATP molecules.
Important terms
• Muscle tone – although skeletal muscles are described as voluntary,
even in the relaxed state they are almost always contracted. This
phenomenon is known as muscle tone due to spinal reflexes.it
produces no movement but keeps the muscle firm, healthy and ready
to respond to stimulation.
• Isotonic contraction-
• muscle length changes and moves the load while the tension or tone
remains constant.
• Can be concentric or eccentric.
• Concentric-here the muscle shortens and does work.- e.g picking up a
book.
• Eccentric- here the muscle generates force as it lengthens . Occur in
the calf muscle e.g as you walk up a steep hill.
• Isometric contraction- here the tension changes but the muscle
neither lengthens or shortens. Occurs primarily to maintain upright
posture or to hold joints in stationary positions while movements
occur at the joints.
• A twitch- the response of a motor unit to a single action potential
from its motor neuron.
• Divided into 3 phases
• Latent period
• Period of contraction
• Period of relaxation
Other factors contributing to the force of
contraction
• Number of muscle fibres stimulated
• Size of the muscle fibres
• Frequency of stimulation
• Degree of muscle stretch.
• Recruitment-The more the motor units that are contracting, the
faster and the more prolonged the contraction.
• Rigor mortis(death rigor)- illustrates the fact that cross bridge
detarchment is ATP driven. Most muscles begin to stiffen 3-4 hours
after death with peak stiffness around 12 hours, then gradually
dissipates over 48-60 hours.
• Actin and myosin becomes irreversibly link and as the cells are dying,
influx and efflux of ca2+ graudually reduces and comes to a halt. This
then makes the stiffness to gradually disappear as the proteins are
broken down after cell death.
• Hypertophy – after birth, most muscular tissues increase in size due
to increase in the size of their individual muscle fibres.
• Hyperplasia- some smooth muscles increase the size of the tissue by
increasing in number. E.g response of the uterus to estrogen.
• Contracture- fixed tightening of the muscle, tendons, ligaments or
skin. It prevents normal body movement of the associated body parts
• Myasthernia gravis- weakness and rapid fatigue of muscles under
voluntary control due to the inability of the NMJ to transmit enough
signals from the nerve fibre to the muscle fiber..
glycogenolysis
• Do you remember what glycogen is??????

• Glycogenolysis is the breakdown of glycogen into glucose molecules

• Epinephrine can trigger this pathyway too

• Depends upon the presence of an enzyme – glycogen phosphorylase

McArdle’s Disease
• Absence of the muscle glycogen phosphorylase enzyme
• Individuals must rely on blood-transported fuels
• Fatty acids, protein, glucose from the liver
• These reserves take 5-10 minutes to arrive to the mitochondria
• Muscles stop functioning until these fuels arrive
• Autosomal Recessive Disorder
• Premature muscle fatigue and weakness and pain during exercise
• Muscles can become injured during exercise
•THANKS