Introduction to the Muscular System

Introduction to the Muscular System

Muscles, Muscles, they help us move!

The Importance of Muscles

Consider trying to do any activity without moving your muscles. How exactly might you complete the simplest of tasks?

In fact consider this harrowing fact; your breathing and swallowing involve muscles that seem to perform their job on their own. How might we swallow or breathe without these "involuntary" muscles?

Types of Muscles in the Body

• All muscles fit into 2 general muscular categories; Voluntary and Involuntary Muscles.

• Voluntary Muscles: Muscles that are under your conscious control. Examples include the muscles that are responsible for smiling, writing, etc.

• Involuntary Muscles: Muscles that are not under your conscious control. Examples of involuntary muscles are the muscular movement of the stomach in digestion, or the involuntary heartbeat muscles that work to keep us alive.

Types of Muscle Tissue

• As you can see pictured to the right, there are 3 different types of muscle tissue, some of which are involuntary and some of which are voluntary.

• Skeletal Muscles: Provide the force that moves the bones; these are the muscles that work together with your bones to allow for locomotion. A strong connective tissue called a tendon attaches the muscle to a bone.

• Smooth Muscle: Found in the walls of most internal organs such as the airways, the stomach, and blood vessels.

• Cardiac Muscles: Found only in the walls of the heart, it is a part of the circulatory and muscular system that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body.

How do Skeletal Muscles Work?

Each time you move, more than one muscle is involved; this is due to the muscles only being able to contract and not lengthen. This leaves the muscles to working in pairs. One muscle will contract while the other relaxes and vice versa, a great example is shown on the right.

How is Muscle Movement even possible?

Your muscles have no way to move without being told to do so. The final component in muscular movement is the peripheral nervous system, which is responsible for directing the movements of the muscular system.

In fact, without the nervous system we would find ourselves much worse off considering