Muscular System Key Terms

muscle that produces a particular movement; also called the agonist

• cardiac muscle

• prime mover

• muscle fibers

• antagonist

property of muscle tissue that gives it the ability to receive and respond to a stimulus

• contractility

• muscle fibers

• acetylcholine

• irritability

muscle cell membrane

• antagonist

• sarcomere

• sarcolemma

• fascicle

muscle attachment to the movable bone; moves toward the origin when muscle is contracted

• insertion

• sarcomere

• synergist

• origin

enzyme that breaks down ACh to prevent further contraction of the muscle cell

• acetylcholine

• acetylcholinesterase

• prime mover

• antagonist

muscle cells that contract, or shorten, when they are stimulated by the nervous system

• fused tetanus

• insertion

• prime mover

• muscle fibers

connective tissue that surrounds the entire muscle

• epimysium

• perimysium

• endomysium

• sarcomere

sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle

• muscle atrophy

• muscle pull

• muscle tone

• muscle cramp

involuntary muscle found primarily in the walls of hollow, visceral organs; slow sustained contractions

• smooth

• skeletal

• cardiac

• contractility

connective tissue that surrounds each fascicle

• epimysium

• perimysium

• endomysium

• sarcomere