PHYSIOLOGY

OF
MUSCULAR SYSTEM
 Muscle is a contractile tissue and it is one of the most
complex and ordered tissue in the body.
PHYSIOLOGY OF MUSCULAR SYSTEM
 Muscle is highly adaptable by changing the number
and size of cells according to demand.
 There are three types of muscles
 Skeletal (voluntary)
 cardiac (involuntary)
 smooth muscles. (involuntary)
PHYSIOLOGY OF MUSCULAR SYSTEM
 Muscle content forms 45 to 50% of the total
body mass
 40% is by the skeletal muscles and
 the remaining 5 -10% is by smooth or non-striated
muscle and cardiac muscles.
MUSCULAR SYSTEM
• Classifications of Muscles (Based on control)
• Voluntary: Movement of the muscle is under the
control of the animal
• Involuntary: Movement of the muscle is not
controlled by the animal.
• Classifications of Muscles (Based on striations)
• Striated : Striated muscle is the muscle which has a
large number of cross-striations (transverse lines).
(skeletal, cardiac)
• non-striated: Muscle which does not have cross-
striations is called non-striated muscle. It is also called
plain muscle or smooth muscle. (wall of the visceral
organs)
Function of the muscular system
1. Provides movement in conjunction with the
skeletal system (Locomotion).
Muscles, through contraction,
pull on bones, creating movement
at joints
2. Important in life support.
Smooth muscle makes up the inside of
organs such as the bladder, stomach and
intestines and play an important role in
involuntary functions such as the digestive
and urinary systems.
Function of the muscular system
3. Body movement.

4. Maintenance of posture.
They contract and relax to keep the body aligned,
balanced, and stable against gravity.
Function of the muscular system
4. Respiration (Diaphragm and intercostal contractions)
Force air into the lungs by expanding the lungs, and then force
air out by compressing the lungs

5. Communication (Verbal and Facial)

Function of the muscular system
6. Constriction of organs and vessels (Peristalsis of
intestinal tract, Vasoconstriction of blood vessels and other
structures (pupils)
7. Gametes/conceptus
8. Generation of body heat ( Thermogenesis)
 Maintaining temperature homeostasis by generating heat
 During exercise, muscle movement causes body
temperature to rise.
 In cases of extreme cold, shivering produces random
skeletal muscle contractions to generate heat
Properties of Muscle
 Excitability: capacity of muscle to respond to a certain
stimuli by producing electrical signals called action
potentials
 Contractility: ability of a muscle to shorten and
generate pulling force. When a muscle contracts, it
generates tension (force of contraction) while pulling on
its attachment points.
 Extensibility: ability of muscular tissue to stretch
without being damaged. Extensibility allows a muscle
to contract forcefully even if it is already stretched.
 Elasticity: ability of muscular tissue to return to its
original length and shape after contraction or extension
Skeletal muscle
 Attached to the skeleton so called as skeletal muscle
 Composes approximately 40% of total body weight
 Hundred of skeletal muscles attaches to bone or skeleton of
body.
 Mainly pulling function on bone, generation of heat & source
of proteins
 They are composed of 100 to 1000 muscle cells or fibers
 Muscle cell or fibers are long as 10-30 cm, 5-100 μm in
diameter
 Many nuclei, 80% of volume of myocyte is occupied by
Myofibrils
 These are striated muscle tissue & voluntary in action
 Most rapid contraction of all the muscle types
Skeletal Muscle
• Long cylindrical cells
• Many nuclei per cell
• Striated
• Voluntary
• Generate heat
• Can be fatigue
– Rapid contractions
– Long bundles of cells – striated
– Multinucleated with nuclei at
periphery of cells
– Innervated by spinal or cranial
nerves
– Three types
• red or dark (highest myoglobin
and mitochondria content)
• white or pale (lowest myoglobin
and mitochondria content)
• intermediate (characteristics
between white and red fibers)
Skeletal Muscle
Skeletal Muscle
Muscle Fiber
• Each muscle cell or muscle fiber
is cylindrical in shape.
• Average length of the fiber is 3
cm (1-4 cm, depending upon
the length of the muscle).
• The diameter of the muscle
fiber varies from 10 μ to 100 μ
and it varies in a single muscle.
• Muscle fibers are attached to a • Each muscle fiber is enclosed
tough cord of connective tissue by a cell membrane called
called tendon.
plasma membrane, that lies
• Tendon is in turn attached to beneath the endomysium. It
the bone. Tendon of some
muscles is thin, flat and is also called sarcolemma.
stretched but tough. Such type • Cytoplasm of the muscle is
of tendon is called aponeurosis. known as sarcoplasm.
Structures embedded within the sarcoplasm
1. Nuclei 6. Ribosomes
2. Endoplasmic reticulum 7. Glycogen droplets
3. Golgi apparatus 8. Occasional lipid droplets.
4. Mitochondria
Muscle Fiber
 Sarcolemma - cell membrane
– Surrounds the sarcoplasm (cytoplasm of fiber)
 Contains many of the same organelles seen in other cells
 An abundance of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin
– Punctuated by openings called the transverse tubules (T-
tubules)
 Narrow tubes that extend into the sarcoplasm at right
angles to the surface
 Filled with
extracellular fluid
Structure of skeletal muscle cell (muscle fibre)
 Muscle cell (myocytes) are physiological units of muscle.
 long, cylindrical, tubular cells with tapering ends.
 outer cell membrane called sarcolemma.
 Like other cells, muscle cell also have mitochondria
(sarcosomes), endoplasmic reticulum (sarcoplasmic reticulum),
lysosomes and ribosomes.
 Muscle cells are multinucleated (syncytium) and found average
100-200 nuclei, that are
located at periphery.
 Cytoplasm of muscle
cell is called sarcoplasm
contains myoglobulin.
Myofibril
 Inner part of muscle cells packed with myofibril,
representing approximately 80-87% of mass of
muscle fibre, whereas in cardiac muscle approx. 50%.
 Myofibrils are contractile organelles of muscle cells,
elongated protein threads.
 Myofibrils lie with their axis parallel with the long
axis of muscle cell.
 Myofibrils are cross striated because it consist of
alternating light and dark bands.
Cont..
 Myofibrils - cylindrical structures within muscle fiber
– 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)
Myofibril
 The myosin (thick) and actin (thin) filaments partially
interdigitate.
 The dark band is anisotropic (they polarise visible light) and is
called the A-band, which is made up of thick or myosin
filaments.
 The light band is isotropic (they do not polarise visible light)
and is called the I-band,
which is made up of thin
or actin filaments.
 I-band is bisected by a
dark line called Z-line
or Z-disk.
Myofibril
Sarcomere:
 Distance from one Z-disk to next disk called a sarcomere.
 Sarcomere is the physiological contraction unit of the
myofibril.
 Length of sarcomere is about 2.5-2.8 µ in resting muscle,
but during contraction length decreases up to 2 µ or even
less.
 Sarcomere contains ½ I-band + 1 A-band + ½ I-band.
Myofibril
H-Zone:
 At the centre of the A band, a lighter area is seen which
is the H band of the myofibril and it contains only the
myosin filaments.
 The centre of the H zone contains a dark line called M
line that contains enzymes like creatine phosphokinase.
organization of the myofibril and the
sarcomere.
Sarcomere
Z line Z line
Sarcomere Relaxed
Note the A band.
It is formed by
both myosin and
actin filaments.
The part of the
sarcomere with
only actin
filaments is called
the I band.
This is a
sarcomere that is
relaxed.
Sarcomere Partially Contracted

This sarcomere is
partially contracted.
Notice that the I
bands are getting
shorter.
Sarcomere Completely Contracted

The sarcomere is
completely
contracted in this
slide. The I and H
bands have almost
disappeared.
Which filament has
moved as the
sarcomere
contracted? Note the
thick myosin
filaments have not
changed, but the thin
actin filaments have
moved closer
together.
Conti.
.
 Muscle fibers or myocytes are
held together in bundles
called as fascicles
 Perimysium is connective
tissue sheath covering the
fascicle
 Epimysium covers sheath to
form whole muscle.
 Within each muscle fiber or
cell has many myofibrils
 Endomysium covers the
sarcolemma of each muscle
cell
 Sarcolemma propagate action
potential
Skeletal Muscle
 Have a striped appearance, include voluntary
and involuntary, attached to and moves bones.
This is a majority of the muscle tissue in body.
 Skeletal Muscle functions
 Produce movement
 Maintain posture & body position
 Support Soft Tissues
 Guard entrance / exits
 Maintain body temperature
 Store nutrient reserves
Functions of Skeletal Muscles
 Metabolism of skeletal muscles contributes to the
maintenance of body temperature.
 Skeletal muscles provide the force for somatic
movements, provides control of larynx, pharynx and
part of the oesophagus, thus helping in vocalisation,
deglutition etc.
 External anal and urethral sphincters help in urinary
and faecal continence.
 External eye muscles fixes the eye during head
movements, thus help stable image formation on the
retina
 Mastication and tongue muscles help in prehension,
mastication etc.
Proximate composition of mammalian
skeletal muscle
• Water: 55 – 78% by wt: Water content varies inversely
with lipid content.
• Protein: 15-23%
• Lipid: 1 to 20%
• Carbohydrate: 1-2%: mostly glycogen or lactic acid
• Ash: 1% mostly K , less Na , Cl and Mg 2
+ + - +

• Nucleic
acid: < 1% - 25 – 30 mg DNA/100g and
100mg RNA/100g.
• Other
soluble organic composition: 1% - 8-5 mM ATP,
20mM phosohcreatine, 350 mg carnosine /100g.
Cardiac muscle:
 Found in heart.
 Striated like skeletal muscle
 Contraction is involuntary ie.
Regulated by the autonomic
nervous system
 Never be fatigue
 Myocyte of cardiac muscle are
separated by intercalated disk.
 Cardiac muscle cells are typically
uninucleated but sometimes
binucleted, with the nuclei
centrally placed within each cell.
CARDIAC MUSCLE
 Cardiac muscle is an involuntary muscle which
has structures much like the skeletal muscle except
that the individual fibres merge or interdigitates to
form intercalated disks.
 This produces a muscular network called the
syncytium‚ to provide a more rapid spread
of impulses from muscle fibre to fibre.
Cardiac muscles
 Cardiac muscle cells are mechanically, chemically,
and electrically connected to one another, thus, the
entire tissue resembles a single, enormous muscle
cell. For this reason, cardiac muscle has been called a
functionally syncytium
 Mature cell is 15 μm in diameter & 85 -100 μm in
length
 Mitochondria makes 40% of total mass, aerobic &
anaerobic metabolism
 Fatty acids are the chief fuel for aerobic metabolism
 Speed of contraction is faster than smooth muscle
Properties of Cardiac Muscle Fibers

 Autorhythmicity: The ability to initiate a heart beat

continuously and regularly without external
stimulation
 Excitability: The ability to respond to a stimulus of
adequate strength and duration (i.e. threshold or
more) by generating a propagated action potential
 Conductivity: The ability to conduct excitation
through the cardiac tissue
 Contractility: The ability to contract in response to
stimulation
Smooth muscle or visceral muscle
 Walls of hallow organs (Intestines, Urinary Bladder, Ureters,
Blood Vessels, Airways, and Uterus)
 Fusiform or spindle , length is vary app. 20-1000 μm & width is
2-4 μm.
• Sarcomere and Z lines are absent
• no myofibrils - actin and myosin filaments present, but not
organized
• myofilaments criss-cross obliquely through the sarcoplasm as
a latticework, attached to dense bodies
 One centrally placed nucleus per cell
 Contraction is slower than skeletal & cardiac muscles, last for
long periods
Smooth Muscle
• Individual cells are
Fusiform, spindle shaped
with centrally located
single nuclei
• Nonstriated
• Regulated by the
autonomic nervous system
• Located in visceral
structures
• Aggregates of
myofilaments are
composed of actin and
myosin
• Filaments are not arranged
in order
• Smooth Muscle
– Movement
• Controls movements of the
internal organs
• Involuntary.
– Examples-- Digestive tract,
urinary tract
Sub cellular components of muscle cell
Sarcolemma sarcoplasm
nucleus Golgi apparatus
lysosomes perioxisomes
Endoplasmic or mitochondria or
sarcoplasmic reticulum sarcosomes

ribosomes myofibrils
T- Tubular structure L- Tubular structure

Triad Actin & myosin

 Thin Filament: composed of 3 Actin (Thin)
major proteins
1. F (fibrous) actin
Myofilaments
2. Tropomyosin
3. Troponin
 Two strands of fibrous (F) actin
form a double helix extending the
length of the myofilament
– Composed of G actin monomers
each of which has a myosin-
binding site (see yellow dot)
• Tropomyosin: an elongated protein
winds along the groove of the F
actin double helix.
• Troponin is composed of three
subunits:
– Tn-I : binds to actin
– Tn-T :binds to tropomyosin,
– Tn-C :binds to calcium ions.
• Tropomyosin
 The thin filaments contain tropomyosin an filamentous
protein molecules.
 They are located in the groove formed between the two
chains of the F actin.
 During resting stage, it covers the active binding sites of
the actin filament, so that the actin and myosin filaments
cannot bind together to produce contraction.
• Troponin
 It is a complex of 3 globular proteins: troponin-T,
troponin-I, and troponin-C
 Troponin T has high affinity to tropomyosin and
binds the troponin complex to tropomyosin unit.
 Troponin `I' readily binds with actin and
tropomyosin. In resting muscles, they inhibit ATPase
activity in myosin head.
 Troponin `C' has a very high affinity for calcium ions
– each molecule can bind up to 4 Ca2+ ions. The
combination of Ca2+ ions with troponin trigger the
mechanism that initiates muscle contraction.
Actin Filament
Actin Filament
Myosin (Thick)
Myofilament  Myosin are elongated
molecules shaped like
golf stick.
 Single filament contains
roughly 300 myosin
molecules
 Molecule consists of two
heavy myosin molecules
bound together to form a
rod portion lying parallel
to the myosin
myofilament and two
heads that extend
laterally, have light
chains and hinge region.
•Myosin Filament
It is composed of multiple myosin molecules, each molecule
having a molecular weight of 480,000.
The myosin molecule is made up of six polypeptide chains:
Two heavy meromysin (heavy chain)
Four light meromysin. (light chain)
The two heavy chains wrap spirally around each other
forming a double helix.
•Myosin Filament
One end of each of these chains is folded into a globular structure
called myosin head. Thus each myosin molecule has two free heads
lying side by side at one end of the myosin molecule.
The elongated coiled portion of the myosin molecule is called tail.
The 4 light chains form part of the myosin heads, two to each head
and they help to control the function of the head during muscle
contraction.
The tails of the myosin molecules are bundled to form the body of the
myosin filament
The heads of the myosin
molecules hang outward
to the sides of the body.
Myosin filaments:
Myosin heads function as an ATPase enzyme,
which helps the head to cleave the ATP

Also have affinity to bind with actin

filaments.

Binding ability of the myosin head with actin

filament is controlled by ATPase activity.

Actin and ATP, Mg++ enhance the binding of

the myosin head with actin filament.
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR)
 SR is an elaborate, smooth endoplasmic reticulum
 runs longitudinally and surrounds each myofibril
 Forms 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 is
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.
• Triad
 In skeletal muscle cells, there are two T tubules for each
sarcomere and they run parallel to the junction between the A band
and I band.
 The SR is dilated at the A band-I band junction and this part
of SR is called as terminal cisterna which are in close contact
with T tubules.
 The arrangement of T tubule system at the centre with cisternae of
SR on either side is described as triad.
Contd.
 The T tubules contain extracellular
fluid.
 The SR and T tubule together are called
sarcotubular system and it surrounds
each myofibril.
 The SR contains Ca2+ pump proteins
which actively transports Ca2+ ions from
the cytoplasm into the cisternae.
 The cisterna contains 98% of the total
Ca2+ of the cell. Within the SR, the
Ca2+ is stored bound to calsequestrin -
a protein with high affinity for Ca2+.
 Within the cytoplasm the Ca2+ binds
to a protein calmodulin, which
transports cytoplasmic Ca2+ to its site of
action.
Structure of sarco-tubular system