Nyahururu Medical Training

College
Department of POTT
Year One, Trimester One
Unit: Human Anatomy and Physiology
Subject: Muscular System
Prepared by: Ms. Kimathi
Learning Objectives
 By the end of the lesson, the learners should be
able to:
 Define what is a muscle
 Define what is muscle excitability.
 Discuss the functions of muscles.
 Describe the various groups of muscles
 Explain the differences between voluntary and
non-voluntary muscles
 Discuss the three types of muscle tissues
Introduction
 A muscle is a soft tissue that is highly
specialized for the production of tension
which results in the generation of force.
 Muscle cells contain myofibrils comprised
of actin and myosin myofilaments which
slide past each other producing tension
that changes the shape of the muscle.
Introduction
 Myofibrils are bundles of protein
filaments that contain the contractile
elements of the muscle cell, (filament
groups which extend in parallel columns
along the length of striated muscle fibres).
 They are the machinery or motor that
drives contraction and relaxation.
Introduction
 The function of the myofibril is to perform
muscle contraction via the sliding-
filament model.
 When muscles are at rest, there is
incomplete overlap between the thin
and thick filaments, with some areas
containing only one of the two types.
Introduction
 The myofibrils are made up of thick and
thin myofilaments (actin & myosin), which
help give the muscle its striped
appearance.
 Sarcomeres are the smallest functional
contractile unit of muscle, and myofibrils
are striated muscle organelles that are
comprised of sarcomeres that are strictly
aligned in series
Muscle excitability
 Excitability is the ability to respond to a
stimulus, which may be delivered from a
motor neuron or a hormone
 Excitability allows a muscle to respond to a
stimulus and to maintain chemical potentials
across its cell membranes.
 Muscle is an excitable tissue, in that it can
conduct or transmit electrical impulses
(respond to stimuli)
Functions of Muscles
 The muscular system is made up of muscle
tissue and is responsible for the following
functions :
 Maintenance of posture. The muscular
system is closely associated with the skeletal
system and acts to maintain posture and control
voluntary movement
 Locomotion-The muscular system is closely
associated with the skeletal system in facilitating
Functions of Muscles
 Control of various circulatory systems-
This includes the rhythms of the heart and
the movement of food through the digestive
system.
 Both voluntary and involuntary muscular
system functions are controlled by the
nervous system.
Muscle Groups
 There are more than 600 muscles in the body,
which together account for about 40 percent of
a person's weight.
 Most skeletal muscles have names that describe
some feature of the muscle.
 Often several criteria are combined into one
name.
 The following are some terms relating to muscle
features that are used in naming muscles.
Muscle groups…
 Size: vastus (huge); maximus (large);
longus (long); minimus (small); brevis
(short).
 Shape: deltoid (triangular); rhomboid
(like a rhombus with equal and parallel
sides); latissimus (wide); teres (round);
trapezius (like a trapezoid, a four-sided
figure with two sides parallel).
Muscle groups…
 Direction of fibers: rectus (straight);
transverse (across); oblique (diagonally);
orbicularis (circular).
 Location: pectoralis (chest); gluteus
(buttock or rump); brachii (arm); supra-
(above); infra- (below); sub- (under or
beneath); lateralis (lateral).
Muscle groups….
 Number of origins: biceps (two heads);
triceps (three heads); quadriceps (four
heads).
 Origin and insertion:
sternocleidomastoideus (origin on the
sternum and clavicle, insertion on the
mastoid process); brachioradialis (origin on
the brachium or arm, insertion on the
radius).
Muscle groups….
 Action: abductor (to abduct a structure);
adductor (to adduct a structure); flexor (to
flex a structure); extensor (to extend a
structure); levator (to lift or elevate a
structure); masseter (a chewer).
Assignment
 For each muscle group discussed, i.e
(shape, action, size) identify at least
five muscles that fall under each group
subtypes.
Types of Muscle Tissue
 Muscle tissue can be classified functionally as,
voluntary or involuntary and morphologically
as striated or non-striated.
 Voluntary muscles are skeletal muscles that
contract and relax under conscious control.
 They can be moved by the free will of the
person and are almost always associated with
the skeleton system.
Types of Muscle Tissue
 Involuntary muscles are the muscles whose
contraction is controlled by the autonomic nervous
system.
 They cannot be controlled by will or conscious and
are often associated with organs that exhibit slow
and regular contractions and relaxation.
 Involuntary muscles include all muscles whose
activity is independent and not affected by
voluntary nerve activity
Types of Muscle Tissue
 Striation refers to the presence of visible
banding within muscles which occurs due
to organization of myofibrils to produce a
constant direction of tension.
 This striped appearance is due to these
muscles' light and dark bands which
appear in an alternate fashion.
Types of Muscle Tissue
 The striated muscles have highly
ordered ultrastructure consisting of
sarcomeres, which are basic contractile
units containing a central myosin-rich
dark anisotropic (A) band and two
actin-dominated light isotropic (I)
bands
Sarcomere
Sarcomere
Voluntary Muscles
 Voluntary muscles are also termed as
skeletal muscles.
 They are muscles that can be moved
by the free will of the person.
 They are almost always associated with
the skeleton system.
Voluntary Muscles
 These muscles are usually long and are
attached to the bones by means of
tendons.
 They are responsible for all kinds of
movements in vertebrates.
 They account for about 40% of the
total weight of the body
Characteristics of Voluntary Muscles
 1. They are striated muscles.
 They are made up of long, thin, and
multinucleated muscle fibers that are crossed
with a regular pattern of red and white lines,
resulting in a striated appearance.
 The muscle fibers have contractile units called
sarcomeres which shorten, causing the muscle
to contract and relax.
Voluntary Muscles cont…
 2. The fibers of these muscles are covered
with specialized cell membrane called
myolemma or sarcolemma. (The
sarcolemma is excitable & thick in
voluntary muscles.
 It connects the muscle fibers to each
other).
Voluntary Muscles cont…
 3. Each muscle cell is nucleated, the
nucleus remains at the periphery of the cell.
 All muscle fibers are connected to each other
via connective tissue and interact with each
other through nerves and blood vessels.
 4. The voluntary control of voluntary muscles
is regulated by the somatic nervous system.
Voluntary Muscles cont…
 5. They require a large amount of energy
for their contraction and relaxation. Thus they
possess multiple mitochondria to meet the
energy needs.
 6. They exhibit rapid contraction and
relaxation compared to the involuntary
muscles.
 They tire quickly and require regular intervals
of rest.
Voluntary Muscles cont…
 7. These muscles are essential as they
are involved in the movement of the
body parts and locomotion of the
body.
 8. Some examples of voluntary muscles
include the biceps, the triceps, the
quadriceps, pectoral muscles,
abdominals, hamstrings, etc.
1. Skeletal Muscles
 The skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles as
opposed to smooth and cardiac muscles that
are involuntary.
 The skeletal muscles act in general under the
volition of an individual and therefore are
voluntary.
 Forty percent of the body mass is made up of
skeletal muscle.
Skeletal Muscles
 The skeletal muscles are striated muscles
that are attached to the bones (thus the
name).
 The striations are caused by the presence of
transverse markings in the muscle fiber
when viewed under the microscope.
 Striations are not exclusive to the skeletal
muscle fiber since cardiac muscle fibers also
have them.
Skeletal Muscles cont…
 The part of the peripheral nervous system
associated with the skeletal muscle voluntary
control of body movements is the somatic
nervous system.
 The somatic nervous system is comprised of
afferent and efferent nerves.
 The afferent nerves relay information to the
central nervous system whereas the efferent
nerves stimulate the muscle contraction of the
skeletal muscles.
Skeletal Muscles cont…
 Skeletal muscles are attached to bones.
 Its contraction leads to locomotion,
different facial expressions, posture, and
other voluntary movements of the body.
 Skeletal muscles generate heat as a
byproduct of their contraction hence
participating in thermal homeostasis.
Skeletal Muscles
Involuntary Muscles
 Involuntary muscles, also known as “white
muscles” or “smooth muscles”,
 They are muscles in the human body
whose contraction is controlled by the
autonomic nervous system.
 They are muscles that cannot be moved by
the free will of the person.
Characteristics of Involuntary
 1. Muscles
Individual muscle cells in smooth
muscles are long, thin, and spindle-
shaped with a centrally located
nucleus.
 2. Involuntary muscles include all muscles
whose activity is independent and not
affected by voluntary nerve activity.
Characteristics of Involuntary
Muscles
 3.
The myolemma or sarcolemma is
present, it functions to connect the
muscle fibers to each other.
 The myolema is comparatively thinner
and less in concentration.
Characteristics of Involuntary
Muscles
 4. They cannot be controlled by will or conscious.
 5. They are often associated with organs that
exhibit slow and regular contractions and
relaxation.
 6. They are also termed as smooth muscles or
non-striated muscles as there are no striations
when viewed under the microscope.
 7. These muscles are mostly found lining the walls
of internal organs and system such as: the stomach,
intestine, urinary, bladder, and blood capillaries.
Involuntary Muscles cont…
 8. Most of the muscle cells within the muscle
fibers of the involuntary muscles function as a
single unit where the contraction and relaxation
occur together.
 9. They are controlled by the autonomous
nervous system of the peripheral nervous
system.
 10. The contraction and relaxation of involuntary
muscles are slow and occur at regular intervals of
time.
Involuntary Muscles cont…
 As a result, these muscles do not tire quickly and
can work continuously.
 They also have less energy requirement when
compared to voluntary muscles and thus have
fewer mitochondria.
 Involuntary muscles are involved in the
movements of the internal organs, and also aid
in the passage of fluids and food in the digestive
system.
Involuntary Muscles cont…
 Some examples of involuntary
muscles include the cardiac muscle
and smooth muscle lining the
intestinal tracts, blood vessels,
urogenital tracts, respiratory tract,
etc.
2. Smooth Muscles
 Smooth muscle, found in the walls of the hollow
internal organs such as blood vessels, the
gastrointestinal tract, bladder, and uterus, is under
control of the autonomic nervous system.
 Smooth muscle cannot be controlled consciously and
thus acts involuntarily.
 The non-striated (smooth) muscle cell is spindle-
shaped and has one central nucleus.
 Smooth muscle contracts slowly and rhythmically
2. Smooth Muscles
3. Cardiac Muscles
 Cardiac muscles are involuntary striated
muscles .
 However, they differ in structure and
function compared to other involuntary
muscles.
 They are present on the walls of the heart
and undergo contractions and relaxations
at regular intervals.
Cardiac Muscles
 The cardiac muscle is composed of
individual heart muscle cells called
cardiomyocytes which are joined together
by intercalated discs.
 These muscle cells are enclosed by
collagen fibers and other substances that
form the extracellular matrix.
Cardiac Muscles
 Cardiac muscles are myogenic, whereby, the
nerve stimulus is generated within the muscles
via action potential.
 The action potential is generated within the
muscles in the form of electrical stimulation.
 An action potential is a rapid sequence of
changes in the voltage across a membrane. The
membrane voltage, or potential, is determined at
any time by the relative ratio of ions, extracellular
to intracellular, and the permeability of each ion
Cardiac Muscles
Cardiac Muscles cont…
 This potential causes the release of calcium
ions from the cells into the sarcoplasm
reticulum.
 The rise of calcium ions causes the
myofilaments to slide past each other, causing
excitation-contraction.
 Cardiac muscles are innervated by
sympathetic and parasympathetic fibres from
the autonomic branch of the peripheral
Differences btw Voluntary and Involuntary muscles

Basis for Comparison Voluntary muscles Involuntary muscles

Involuntary muscles are the
Voluntary muscles are the muscles that cannot be
muscles that can be moved by controlled by will or conscious
Definition the free will of the person and and are often associated with
are almost always associated organs that exhibit slow and
with the skeleton system. regular contractions and
relaxation.

Voluntary muscles are also Involuntary muscles are also

Also known as known as striated muscles or known as nonstriated muscles
skeletal muscles. or smooth muscles.
Involuntary muscles are found
Voluntary muscles are found lining the walls of internal
Found attached to bones by means of organs like the stomach,
tendons. intestine, urinary bladder, and
blood capillaries.
Differences btw Voluntary and Involuntary muscles
The muscle cells in
the voluntary The muscle cells in
muscles are long involuntary muscles
Shape of the cylindrical and are thin, long, and
cell unbranched with the spindle-shaped with
nucleus located a centrally located
towards the periphery nucleus.
of the cell.
The muscle cells are
The muscle cells are
Type multinucleated with a
uninucleated with
of cell large number of
fewer mitochondria.
mitochondria.
Sarcolemma Sarcolemma
surrounding the surrounding the
Sarcolemma
voluntary muscle involuntary muscle
fibers is thicker. fibers is thinner.
Sarcomeres are Sarcomeres are
Differences btw Voluntary and Involuntary muscles

Some involuntary
Intercalated discs are not
muscles like cardiac
Intercalated discs found in the voluntary
muscle consist of
muscles.
intercalated discs.
Voluntary muscles can be Involuntary muscles are
Control controlled by will or the muscles that cannot
conscious. be controlled by the will.

The somatic nervous The autonomic nervous

Nervous system system controls all system controls
voluntary muscles. involuntary muscles.
Some involuntary
The nerve stimulus in the
muscles are myogenic
voluntary muscle is created
Nerve stimuli where the stimulus is
from the outside by the
generated within the
nervous system.
muscle.
The contractions and The contractions and
Type of relaxation of voluntary relaxations of involuntary
contractions muscles are rapid and muscles are rhythmic and
Differences btw Voluntary and Involuntary muscles

More energy is required for the Less energy is required for the
Energy requirement contraction and relaxation of contraction and relaxation of
voluntary muscles. involuntary muscles.
Involuntary muscles do not
Voluntary muscles tire quickly and
Fatigue and rest fatigue and can work
require regular intervals of rest.
continuously.
Involuntary muscles are
These muscles are important as
involved in the movements of
they are involved in the movement
Involved in the internal organs and also aid
of the body parts and locomotion
in the passage of fluids and food
of the body.
in the digestive system.

Some examples of involuntary

Some examples of voluntary
muscles include the cardiac
muscles include the biceps, the
muscle and smooth muscle
Examples triceps, the quadriceps,
lining the intestinal tracts, blood
diaphragm, pectoral muscles,
vessels, urogenital tracts,
abdominals, hamstrings, etc.
respiratory tract, etc.
Conclusion
 The three types of muscle cells are skeletal, cardiac, and smooth.
 Skeletal muscle is voluntary and responds to conscious stimuli.
The cells are striated and multinucleated appearing as long,
unbranched cylinders.
 Cardiac muscle is involuntary and found only in the heart. Each
cell is striated with a single nucleus and they attach to one
another to form long fibers. Cells are attached to one another at
intercalated disks.
 Cardiac muscle cells contract autonomously and involuntarily.
 Smooth muscle is involuntary. Each cell is a spindle-shaped fiber
and contains a single nucleus. No striations are evident because
the actin and myosin filaments do not align in the cytoplasm.