Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology
The Muscular System
The Muscular System
Muscles are responsible for all types of
body movement – they contract or
shorten and are the machine of the
body
Three basic muscle types are found in
the body
Skeletal muscle
Cardiac muscle
Smooth muscle
Characteristics of Muscles
Muscle cells are elongated
(muscle cell = muscle fiber)
Contraction of muscles is due to the
movement of microfilaments
All muscles share some terminology
Prefix myo refers to muscle
Prefix mys refers to muscle
Prefix sarco refers to flesh
Skeletal Muscle Characteristics
Most are attached by tendons to bones
Cells are multinucleate
Striated – have visible banding
Voluntary – subject to conscious control
Cells are surrounded and bundled by
connective tissue = great force, but tires
easily
Connective Tissue Wrappings of
Skeletal Muscle
Endomysium –
around single
muscle fiber
Perimysium –
around a
fascicle
(bundle) of
fibers Figure 6.1
Connective Tissue Wrappings of
Skeletal Muscle
Epimysium –
covers the
entire skeletal
muscle
Fascia – on the
outside of the
epimysium
Figure 6.1
Skeletal Muscle Attachments
Epimysium blends into a connective
tissue attachment
Tendon – cord-like structure
Aponeuroses – sheet-like structure
Sites of muscle attachment
Bones
Cartilages
Connective tissue coverings
Smooth Muscle Characteristics
Has no striations
Spindle-shaped
cells
Single nucleus
Involuntary – no
conscious control
Found mainly in
the walls of hollow
organs
Slow, sustained
and tireless
Figure 6.2a
Cardiac Muscle Characteristics
Has striations
Usually has a
single nucleus
Joined to another
muscle cell at an
intercalated disc
Involuntary
Found only in the
heart
Figure 6.2b
Steady pace!
Function of Muscles
Produce movement
Maintain posture
Stabilize joints
Generate heat
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
Cells are multinucleate
Nuclei are just beneath the sarcolemma
Figure 6.3a
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
Sarcolemma – specialized plasma
membrane
Sarcoplasmic reticulum – specialized
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Figure 6.3a
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
Myofibril
Bundles of myofilaments
Myofibrils are aligned to give distrinct bands
I band =
light band
A band =
dark band
Figure 6.3b
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
Sarcomere
Contractile unit of a muscle fiber
Figure 6.3b
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
Organization of the sarcomere
Thick filaments = myosin filaments
Composed of the protein myosin
Has ATPase enzymes
Figure 6.3c
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
Organization of the sarcomere
Thin filaments = actin filaments
Composed of the protein actin
Figure 6.3c
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
Myosin filaments have heads
(extensions, or cross bridges)
Myosin and
actin overlap
somewhat
Figure 6.3d
Properties of Skeletal Muscle
Activity (single cells or fibers)
Irritability – ability to receive and
respond to a stimulus
Contractility – ability to shorten when an
adequate stimulus is received
Nerve Stimulus to Muscles
Skeletal
muscles must
be stimulated
by a nerve to
contract (motor
neruron)
Motor unit
One neuron
Muscle cells
stimulated by
that neuron Figure 6.4a
Nerve Stimulus to Muscles
Neuromuscular
junctions –
association site
of nerve and
muscle
Figure 6.5b
Nerve Stimulus to Muscles
Synaptic cleft –
gap between
nerve and
muscle
Nerve and
muscle do not
make contact
Area between
nerve and muscle
is filled with
interstitial fluid
Transmission of Nerve Impulse to
Muscle
Neurotransmitter – chemical released
by nerve upon arrival of nerve impulse
The neurotransmitter for skeletal muscle is
acetylcholine
Neurotransmitter attaches to receptors
on the sarcolemma
Sarcolemma becomes permeable to
sodium (Na+)
Transmission of Nerve Impulse to
Muscle
Sodium rushing into the cell generates
an action potential
Once started, muscle contraction cannot
be stopped
The Sliding Filament Theory of
Muscle Contraction
Activation by nerve
causes myosin
heads
(crossbridges) to
attach to binding
sites on the thin
filament
Myosin heads then
bind to the next site
of the thin filament
The Sliding Filament Theory of
Muscle Contraction
This continued
action causes a
sliding of the myosin
along the actin
The result is that the
muscle is shortened
(contracted)
The Sliding Filament Theory
Contraction of a Skeletal Muscle
Muscle fiber contraction is “all or none”
Within a skeletal muscle, not all fibers
may be stimulated during the same
interval
Different combinations of muscle fiber
contractions may give differing
responses
Graded responses – different degrees
of skeletal muscle shortening, rapid
stimulus = constant contraction or
tetanus
Muscle Response to Strong Stimuli
Muscle force depends upon the number
of fibers stimulated
More fibers contracting results in greater
muscle tension
Muscles can continue to contract unless
they run out of energy
Energy for Muscle Contraction
Initially, muscles used stored ATP for
energy
Bonds of ATP are broken to release energy
Only 4-6 seconds worth of ATP is stored by
muscles
After this initial time, other pathways
must be utilized to produce ATP
Energy for Muscle Contraction
Direct phosphorylation
Muscle cells contain creatine
phosphate (CP)
CP is a high-energy
molecule
After ATP is depleted, ADP is
left
CP transfers energy to ADP,
to regenerate ATP
CP supplies are exhausted in
about 20 seconds
Energy for Muscle Contraction
Anaerobic glycolysis
Reaction that breaks
down glucose without
oxygen
Glucose is broken down
to pyruvic acid to
produce some ATP
Pyruvic acid is
converted to lactic acid
Energy for Muscle Contraction
Anaerobic glycolysis
(continued)
This reaction is not as
efficient, but is fast
Huge amounts of
glucose are needed
Lactic acid produces
muscle fatigue
Energy for Muscle Contraction
Aerobic Respiration
Series of metabolic
pathways that occur in
the mitochondria
Glucose is broken down
to carbon dioxide and
water, releasing energy
This is a slower reaction
that requires continuous
oxygen
Muscle Fatigue and Oxygen Debt
When a muscle is fatigued, it is unable to
contract
The common reason for muscle fatigue is
oxygen debt
Oxygen must be “repaid” to tissue to remove
oxygen debt
Oxygen is required to get rid of accumulated
lactic acid
Increasing acidity (from lactic acid) and lack
of ATP causes the muscle to contract less
Types of Muscle Contractions
Isotonic contractions
Myofilaments are able to slide past each
other during contractions
The muscle shortens
Isometric contractions
Tension in the muscles increases
The muscle is unable to shorten
Muscle Tone
Some fibers are contracted even in a
relaxed muscle
Different fibers contract at different
times to provide muscle tone
The process of stimulating various fibers
is under involuntary control
Types of muscle tissue
Characteristics Extensible, elastic, contractile, organized into bundles
1. Skeletal Rapid and strong contraction; large, cylindrical, elongated
cells; peripheral and ovoid nuclei; striated; present in
voluntary skeletal muscles
2. Cardiac Strong contraction; striated; single and centrally located
nucleus, connected by gap junctions and intercalated
discs; syncytium; found in the myocardium
3. Smooth Weak and slow contractions; spindle shaped cells; single
and central nucleus; nonstriated; found in involuntary
muscles (viscera)
Muscles and Body Movements
Movement is
attained due to
a muscle
moving an
attached bone
Figure 6.12
Muscles and Body Movements
Muscles are
attached to at
least two points
Origin –
attachment to a
moveable bone
Insertion –
attachment to an
immovable bone
Figure 6.12
Effects of Exercise on Muscle
Results of increased muscle use
Increase in muscle size
Increase in muscle strength
Increase in muscle efficiency
Muscle becomes more fatigue resistant
Types of Ordinary Body
Movements
Flexion – decreases angle of joint and
brings two bones closer together
Extension- opposite of flexion
Rotation- movement of a bone in
longitudinal axis, shaking head “no”
Abduction/Adduction (see slides)
Circumduction (see slides)
Body Movements
Left:
Abduction –
moving the
leg away
from the
midline
Right:
Above –
Circumduction: cone-
Adduction-
shaped movement,
moving
proximal end doesn’t
toward the
move, while distal end
midline
moves in a circle.
Types of Muscles
Prime mover – muscle with the major
responsibility for a certain movement
Antagonist – muscle that opposes or
reverses a prime mover
Synergist – muscle that aids a prime
mover in a movement and helps prevent
rotation
Naming of Skeletal Muscles
Direction of muscle fibers
Example: rectus (straight)
Relative size of the muscle
Example: maximus (largest)
Naming of Skeletal Muscles
Location of the muscle
Example: many muscles are named
for bones (e.g., temporalis)
Number of origins
Example: triceps (three heads)
Naming of Skeletal Muscles
Location of the muscles origin and
insertion
Example: sterno (on the sternum)
Shape of the muscle
Example: deltoid (triangular)
Action of the muscle
Example: flexor and extensor (flexes or
extends a bone)
Head and Neck Muscles
Trunk Muscles
Deep Trunk and Arm Muscles
Muscles of the Pelvis, Hip, and Thigh
Muscles of the Lower Leg
Superficial Muscles: Anterior
Superficial Muscles: Posterior
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
