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The human body contains three major types of muscle: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. Each muscle type has unique cellular components, physiology, specific functions, and pathology. Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones of the skeleton and are responsible for producing movement at joints. In most muscles, the fibres are oriented in the same direction, running in a line from the origin to the insertion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle type | Skeletal, cardiac, smooth |
| Muscle function | Produce effects by the production of tensions |
| Muscle tissue | Striated muscle fibres |
| Muscle fibres | Slow oxidative (SO), fast oxidative (FO), fast glycolytic (FG) |
| Muscle control | Voluntary |
| Muscle movement | Powerful, fast movements or small precision actions |
| Muscle contraction | Returns to original shape |
| Muscle orientation | Fibres oriented in the same direction |
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What You'll Learn
- Skeletal muscles are sheathed by a tough layer of connective tissue called the epimysium
- Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles because we have direct control over them through our nervous system
- Cardiac muscle encompasses the heart, which keeps the human body alive
- Smooth muscle is present throughout the gastrointestinal, reproductive, urinary, vascular, and respiratory systems
- Branchiomeric muscles are those associated with the jaws, pharynx, palate, and larynx
Skeletal muscles are sheathed by a tough layer of connective tissue called the epimysium
The epimysium is a well-defined layer of connective tissue that completely surrounds the muscle. Blood vessels travel through this collagenous sheath around the outside of the whole skeletal muscle, providing the skeletal muscle with blood supply. Nerves travel through the epimysium around the outside of the whole skeletal muscle, innervating the skeletal muscle. The epimysium separates the muscle from the surrounding organs and tissues.
The epimysium is composed of collagen and elastin fibres, which contribute to the resistance of a muscle to tensile forces. During muscle contractions, muscle fibres will pull on these connective tissue sheaths, which will in turn transmit the force to the bone that the tendon is inserting into to produce movement.
Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles because we have direct control over them through our nervous system. Contractions can vary to produce powerful, fast movements or small precision actions. Skeletal muscles are able to stretch or contract and still return to their original shape. They are attached to the bones of the skeleton and, because they cross joints, they produce motion at these joints.
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Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles because we have direct control over them through our nervous system
Unipennate muscles are those where the muscle fibres are oriented at one fibre angle to the force-generating axis and are all on the same side of a tendon. The pennation angle in unipennate muscles has been measured at a variety of resting lengths and typically varies from 0° to 30°. The lateral gastrocnemius is an example of this muscle architecture. Muscles that have fibres on two sides of a tendon are considered bipennate. The stapedius in the middle ear of humans, as well as the rectus femoris of the quadriceps, are examples of bipennate muscles.
The third type of pennate subgroup is known as the multipennate architecture. Multipennate muscles have fibres that are oriented at multiple angles along the force-generating axis, and this is the most general and common architecture. Muscular hydrostats function independently of a hardened skeletal system.
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Cardiac muscle encompasses the heart, which keeps the human body alive
Muscle architecture is the physical arrangement of muscle fibres at the macroscopic level that determines a muscle's mechanical function. There are several different muscle architecture types, including parallel, pennate and hydrostats. The force produced by a given muscle is proportional to the cross-sectional area, or the number of parallel sarcomeres present.
Unipennate muscles are those where the muscle fibres are oriented at one fibre angle to the force-generating axis and are all on the same side of a tendon. The pennation angle in unipennate muscles has been measured at a variety of resting lengths and typically varies from 0° to 30°. Muscles that have fibres on two sides of a tendon are considered bipennate. The third type of pennate subgroup is known as the multipennate architecture.
Cardiac muscle, also called the myocardium, is one of three major categories of muscles found within the human body, along with smooth muscle and skeletal muscle. It makes up the thick middle layer of the heart, which is surrounded by a thin outer layer called the epicardium (AKA visceral pericardium) and an inner endocardium. The endocardium is not cardiac muscle and is comprised of simple squamous epithelial cells and forms the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves. The pericardium is a fibrous sac surrounding the heart, consisting of the epicardium, pericardial space, parietal pericardium, and fibrous pericardium.
The primary function of cardiomyocytes is to contract, which generates the pressure needed to pump blood through the circulatory system. Rapid, involuntary contraction and relaxation of the cardiac muscle are vital for pumping blood throughout the cardiovascular system. Within the myocardium, there are several sheets of cardiac muscle cells or cardiomyocytes. When these sheets contract in a coordinated manner, they allow the ventricle to squeeze in several directions simultaneously – longitudinally (becoming shorter from apex to base), radially (becoming narrower from side to side), and with a twisting motion (similar to wringing out a damp cloth) to squeeze the maximum possible amount of blood out of the heart with each heartbeat.
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Smooth muscle is present throughout the gastrointestinal, reproductive, urinary, vascular, and respiratory systems
Skeletal muscle is an organ that primarily controls movement and posture. It is attached to the bones of the skeleton and, because it crosses joints, it produces motion at these joints. Skeletal muscles are also voluntary muscles because we have direct control over them through our nervous system. Contractions can vary to produce powerful, fast movements or small precision actions.
Cardiac muscle encompasses the heart, which keeps the human body alive. Similar to skeletal muscles in that it is striated and multi-nucleated, and with smooth muscles in that its contractions are not controlled by the autonomic nervous system. However, even without nervous input, contraction can occur due to cells called pacemaker cells.
Smooth muscle is present throughout the body, as mentioned above. The formation of muscle tissues is known as myogenesis. The myoblasts are the progenitor cells of the muscle tissue. During embryonic development, the myoblasts either divide mitotically to give rise to more myoblasts or differentiate into myocytes (muscle cells).
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Branchiomeric muscles are those associated with the jaws, pharynx, palate, and larynx
Branchiomeric muscles are a subset of head muscles that are associated with the jaws, pharynx, palate, and larynx. They are involved in facial expression, mastication, and the function of the larynx and pharynx. These muscles are also involved in jaw movement.
Branchiomeric muscles originate from skeletal muscle progenitor cells in the mesodermal core of pharyngeal arches. They share a clonal origin with parts of the heart, indicating the presence of common heart and head muscle progenitor cells in the early embryo.
The formation of muscle tissues is known as myogenesis. The myoblasts are the progenitor cells of the muscle tissue. During embryonic development, the myoblasts either divide mitotically to give rise to more myoblasts or differentiate into myocytes (muscle cells).
In most muscles, the fibres are oriented in the same direction, running in a line from the origin to the insertion. Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles because we have direct control over them through our nervous system. They are able to stretch or contract and still return to their original shape. There are three types of muscle fibres: slow oxidative (SO), fast oxidative (FO), and fast glycolytic (FG).
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Frequently asked questions
In most muscles, the fibres are oriented in the same direction, running in a line from the origin to the insertion.
There are three types of muscle fibres: slow oxidative (SO), fast oxidative (FO) and fast glycolytic (FG).
Muscle fibres are the individual fibres that make up a muscle.
