Functions of Muscles:

 For movement and contraction

 For respiration
 To cause visceral motion
 To eject blood from heart

Four basic properties of Muscle Tissues:

1. Excitability
- Is the ability to respond to stimulation. For example, skeletal muscles normally respond to
stimulation by the nervous system, and some smooth muscles respond to circulating
hormones.
2. Contractility
- Is the ability to shorten actively and exert a pull, or tension, that can be harnessed by
connective tissues.
3. Extensibility
- Is the ability to continue to contract over a range of resting lengths. For example, a smooth
muscle can be stretched to several times it original length and still contract on stimulation.
4. Elasticity
- Is the ability of the muscle to rebound toward its original length after contraction.

Classification of Muscle Tissues:

According to structure / histological classification:

1. Skeletal
2. Smooth
3. Cardiac
Difference Between Muscle Tissues:

Muscle Tissue Microscopic Location Action

Appearance
Skeletal Have stripes – Attached to the skeleton Voluntary –
striated for voluntary Under control of will
movements
Smooth Non - striated Viscera or Involuntary
different organs
Cardiac Striated Limited to the heart Involuntary

I.SMOOTH MUSCLES

- Is also referred to as non-striated or involuntary muscle, the latter term referring to the fact
that is activity is neither initiated nor monitored consciously.
- It is more variable in form and function that either of the other major types of muscle
tissues, a reflection of its varied roles in the different systems of the body.

Functions of Smooth Muscles:

- to regulate the diameter (for example in blood vessels, and branches of the bronchial tree).
- To propel liquids or solids (for example, in ureter, hepatic duct, and intestines) or
- To expel contents (for example, in urinary bladder and uterus).

II. CARDIAC MUSCLES

- The myocardium, the muscular component of the heart and constitutes the bulk that organ,
is the location of this muscle tissue.
- Presence of intercalated discs are unique to cardiac muscles. In the light microscope they
are seen as dark, transverse lines crossing the tracts of cardiac cells.
- The cells of cardiac muscle differ from those of skeletal muscle in having the inherent ability
to contract and relax spontaneously.

III. SKELETAL MUSCLES

- Skeletal muscle consists of parallel bundles of long, multinucleated fibers.

- It is sometimes referred to as voluntary muscle, because the movements in which it
participates are often initiated under conscious control.
- It forms the bulk of the muscular tissue of the body.
FUNCTIONS OF THE SKELETAL MUSCLE:

- Produce movement. Muscle contractions pull on tendons and move the bones of the
skeleton.
- Maintain posture and body position. Without constant muscular tension, we can not sit
upright without collapsing or stand without toppling over.
- Support soft tissue. The abdominal wall and the floor of the pelvic cavity consist of layers of
muscles that support the weight of the visceral organs and shield tissues from injury.
- Guards entrances and exits. Skeletal muscles guard openings to the digestive and urinary
tracts and provide voluntary control over swallowing, defecating and urination.
- Maintain body temperature. Muscle contractions require energy, and whenever energy is
used in the body, some of it is converted to heat. The heat lost by working muscles keeps
our body temperature in normal range.

THE ANATOMY OF SKELTAL MUSCLE

Connective Tissue Organization

- Three layers of connective tissue are part of each muscle:

1. An outer epimysium,
2. A central perimysium,
3. And an inner endomysium.

1. Epimysium
- The entire muscle is surrounded by epimysium, a layer of collagen fibers that separates
muscles from surrounding tissues and organs.
- At the end of each muscle, the epimysial fibers come together to form tendons that attach
skeletal muscles to bones.
- The tendon fibers are interwoven into the periosteum of the bone, providing a firm
attachment.
2. Perimysium
- The connective tissue fibers of the perimysium divide the skeletal muscle into series of
compartments, each containing a bundle of muscle called fascicle.
- In addition to collagen and elastic fibers, the perimysium contains blood vessels and nerves
that supply the fascicles.
 3. Endomysium
- Within a fascicle, the endomysium surrounds each skeletal muscle fiber and ties each
adjacent muscle fibers together.

PARTS OF SKELETAL MUSCLE:

1. Origin – the more fixed point of attachment corresponding to the head of the muscle and
usually the proximal end.
2. Insertion – the movable point corresponding to the distal end of the muscle. Muscles attached
to bones may be anchored to cartilages, ligaments, membranes or skin.
3. Belly – fleshy part of the muscle.

Oblique to the line of pull:

TYPES OF MUSCULAR FORMS:

1. ?
2. Bipenifrom
- Fibers converge to a common tendon.
Ex. Rectus femoris, dorsal interossei
3. Multipenniform
- Fibers run in several direction.
Ex. Deltoid
4. Circumpenniform
- Fibers start from the walls of the osteofascial compartments, and converge obliquely in a
central tendon.
Ex. Tibialis anterior
5. Spiral
- Twisted in arrangement
Ex. Sternocostal fibers of pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi
6. Cruciate
- A spiral arrangement that have two or more planes of fiber arranged in differing direction
Ex. Sternocleidomastoid, masseter, adductor, magnus
7. Triangular
- Muscle fibers run obliquely and converge to a common tendon.
Ex. Temporalis

Parallel to the line of pull:

1. Quadrilateral
- Muscle fibers are largely parallel to the line of pull which are flat and short.
Ex. Thyrohyoid
 2. Straplike
- Muscle fiber are largely parallel to the line of pull which are flat and long.
Ex. Sternothyroid, sartorius
3. Strap with tendinous insertions
- Individual fibers run for over shorter segments when there are transverse, tendinous
insertions at intervals.
Ex. Rectus abdominis
4. Fusiform
- Fibers almost parallel to one another and ending in a tendon.
Ex. Rectus femoris

TYPES OF MUSCULAR ACTIONS OF SKELETAL MUSCLES

1. Prime Movers
2. Antagonists
3. Fixators
4. Synergists

1. Prime Movers
- Muscles that produce the actual desired muscular action. It is usually possible to identify
one or more muscles that are consistently active in initiating and maintaining a movement.

2. Antagonists
- Muscles that wholly oppose the movement, or initiate and maintain the opposite
movement. Their partial contrary movement help to produce a smoother primary action.

3. Fixators
- While prime movers and antagonists contract together, they behave as fixators, stabilizing
the corresponding joint by increased transarticular compression, creating an immobile base
on which other prime movers act. These are the muscles that inhibit or prevent the
movements that are not required.

4. Synergists
- Muscles that may individually have different actions but act as a group to produce the
desired effect by steadying the intervening joints. These are the muscles which assist in
accomplishing the movement.

BASES FOR NAMING SKELETAL MUSCLES: