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Striated muscles, also known as skeletal muscles, are the most common type of muscle in the human body. They are attached to the bones of the skeletal system and are under voluntary control. Striated muscles are responsible for various functions, including chewing, swallowing, breathing, movement, and posture maintenance. They get their name from their striped appearance, which is caused by alternating light and dark bands. These muscles are composed of long protein strands called actin and myosin that twist together to create contraction forces, enabling movement. The two types of striated muscles are skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Striped |
| Reason for appearance | Alternating light and dark bands |
| Types | Skeletal, cardiac, and smooth |
| Skeletal muscle composition | Skeletal muscle fibres, blood vessels, nerve fibres, and connective tissue |
| Cardiac muscle composition | Branched network of shorter cardiomyocytes connected via intercalated discs and surrounded by blood vessels and extracellular matrix |
| Skeletal muscle function | Balance, posture, movement, chewing, swallowing, breathing, and movement of bones |
| Cardiac muscle function | Contraction of the heart walls and pumping of blood |
| Smooth muscle function | Found in hollow structures such as the walls of intestines or blood vessels |
| Skeletal muscle mass | 30% to 40% of total body mass |
| Skeletal muscle fibres | Red and white |
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What You'll Learn
Skeletal muscle
The tissue of skeletal muscle is striated, having a striped appearance due to the arrangement of the sarcomeres. These are the repeating functional units composed of actin and myosin filaments called myofilaments. The muscle contains multiple fascicles, or bundles of muscle fibres. Each individual fibre and each muscle is surrounded by a type of connective tissue layer of fascia.
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Cardiac muscle
Specialised modified cardiomyocytes known as pacemaker cells set the rhythm of the heart contractions. They are located in the sinoatrial node (the primary pacemaker) on the wall of the right atrium. Other pacemaker cells are found in the atrioventricular node (secondary pacemaker). They carry the impulses that are responsible for the beating of the heart.
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Striated muscle tissue
The three main types of striated muscles are skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. Skeletal muscles are attached to the skeleton and are responsible for voluntary movements of bones. They consist of long, fine fibres that can range from less than half an inch to just over 3 inches in diameter. Each fibre is a bundle of finer myofibrils, which contain filaments of actin and myosin proteins. These filaments slide past each other during muscle contraction and expansion. Skeletal muscles make up between 30% and 40% of total body mass and are involved in functions such as chewing, swallowing, breathing, and movement.
Cardiac muscles, on the other hand, are found exclusively in the muscular walls of the heart. They are responsible for the contraction of the heart walls and the pumping of blood throughout the body. Cardiac muscle cells have a complex structure, with myofibrils branching in a network of shorter cardiomyocytes connected via intercalated discs. Cardiac muscle contractions are due to a myogenic response of the heart's pacemaker cells and are not under voluntary control.
Smooth muscle tissue, unlike skeletal and cardiac muscle tissue, is not striated as it lacks sarcomeres. It is found in hollow structures such as the walls of intestines or blood vessels and is also controlled by the autonomic nervous system.
In summary, striated muscle tissue, including skeletal and cardiac muscles, plays a vital role in generating force and contraction to support various bodily functions. Its structure, characterised by sarcomeres and actin and myosin filaments, enables the conversion of chemical energy to physical work, facilitating movement and essential physiological processes.
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Striated muscle appearance
Striated muscle tissue features repeating functional units called sarcomeres. Under a microscope, these sarcomeres are visible along muscle fibres, giving the tissue a striated or striped appearance. This tissue is found in skeletal muscles and cardiac muscles, but not in smooth muscles, as there are no sarcomeres present in smooth muscle tissue.
Skeletal muscles are attached to the skeleton and make up between 30% and 40% of the average human body's total mass. They consist of flexible muscle fibres that range from less than half an inch to just over 3 inches in diameter. Skeletal muscle fibres are red and white and are under voluntary control. Cardiac muscle cells are found in the walls of the heart and are under involuntary control. They are responsible for heart contractions and have a striped appearance due to their densely packed myofibrils.
The skeletal muscles are responsible for a variety of functions, including chewing and swallowing, expanding and contracting the chest cavity for breathing, and enabling movement and posture maintenance. Skeletal muscle fibres usually span the length of the muscle and contract to allow the bones to move. Each muscle can contain thousands of fibres.
The two types of striated muscle tissue differ in their histology and physiology. Skeletal muscle includes skeletal muscle fibres, blood vessels, nerve fibres, and connective tissue. It is wrapped in epimysium, which provides structural integrity during contractions. The perimysium organises the muscle fibres, which are encased in collagen and endomysium, into fascicles. Cardiac muscle cells, on the other hand, have a single, centrally located nucleus and are responsible for heart contractions and regulating blood pressure.
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Striated muscle function
Striated muscles are a vital part of the musculoskeletal system. They are responsible for generating force and contracting to support essential functions such as respiration, locomotion, and posture. Striated muscles consist of two types of tissues: skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle.
Skeletal muscle is the most common type of muscle in the body, comprising 30% to 40% of total body mass. These muscles are attached to the bones and allow for a wide range of movements. They are voluntary muscles, meaning individuals have control over how and when they move. Skeletal muscles include skeletal muscle fibres, blood vessels, nerve fibres, and connective tissue. The muscle fibres contract, enabling movements like chewing and swallowing, as well as breathing, movement, and posture maintenance.
Cardiac muscle, on the other hand, is found in the walls of the heart. Its main function is to contract and pump blood throughout the body. Cardiac muscle cells have a single nucleus, while skeletal muscle cells have many nuclei. Cardiac muscle cells are also smaller than skeletal muscle fibres, typically measuring between 10 and 20 µm in thickness and 50 to 100 µm in length.
The striated appearance of both skeletal and cardiac muscles is due to the presence of densely packed myofibrils, which are composed of actin and myosin myofilaments. These myofilaments, along with calcium ions, play a crucial role in muscle contraction. In skeletal muscles, signals from motor neurons cause the release of calcium ions, which drive the movement of the myosin and actin filaments. This movement leads to the shortening of the sarcomere, resulting in muscle contraction.
In summary, striated muscles, including skeletal and cardiac muscles, are essential for various bodily functions, from breathing and movement to pumping blood throughout the body. Their unique structure, with its striated appearance, enables them to generate force and contract efficiently, supporting the overall health and functionality of the musculoskeletal system.
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Frequently asked questions
Striated muscles are muscles that have a striped appearance due to light and dark bands. They are composed of long strands of proteins called actin and myosin, which twist around each other to create a contraction force.
There are two main types of striated muscles: skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. Skeletal muscles are attached to bones and are under voluntary control, while cardiac muscles are found in the walls of the heart and are not under voluntary control.
The primary function of striated muscles is to generate force and contract. Skeletal muscles help with breathing, movement, and posture, while cardiac muscles pump blood throughout the body.
Striated muscles can contract and relax independently. They contract when the actin and myosin filaments slide past each other, creating a tension that pulls on the fibres within the muscle cell, causing them to contract together to form one larger unit.
Smooth muscles are not striated as they do not have sarcomeres. They are found in hollow structures such as the walls of intestines or blood vessels and their movements are not under voluntary control.
