Muscular system

The muscular system is an

organ system consisting of
skeletal, smooth and
cardiac muscles.
 STRUCTURES AND
FUNCTIONS OF MUSCULAR
SYSTEM
Skeletal Muscles
• Skeletal muscles and skeletal muscle tissue are the
structures that come to most people's minds when
thinking about "muscles." Skeletal muscle tissue is a
coarse muscle tissue optimized for contracting and
moving body parts. Skeletal muscle tissues are often
associated with the parts of the muscular system that
are under our conscious control. A dense supply of
blood vessels and nerves in skeletal tissue aids
contraction, which pulls on tendons and bones,
causing skeletal movement.
Smooth Muscles
• Smooth muscle tissues are often associated with
sub-conscious control of various systems in the
body. Smooth muscle tissue is associated with the
stomach and intestines and the urinary system.
Smooth muscle tissues control blood flow in major
organs and are key in regulating blood pressure.
Tough Tendons
• Tendons connect skeletal muscles to the bones the
muscles will move. Tendons are both strong and
flexible and are highly resistant to tears and
breakage. However, tendons can be strained or
injured if overextended. Because tendons do not
heal easily, seek a doctor's advice for an injured
tendon. Athletes are prone to rupturing their
Achillis tendon, which connects calf muscle to the
bone in the heel. Tears can be quite painful and
may require surgery.
Flexible Ligaments
• A ligament is the fibrous material that connects two
bones that are moved via skeletal muscles. They
provide stability for the bones both during
movement by the skeletal muscles and during rest.
Ligaments are closely related to the muscular
system. Joint functioning and range of motion is
controlled by ligaments. Many ligaments are found
in the knee.A common knee injury occurs to the
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during sudden
stops or twists.
Adipose Tissue
• Adipose tissue is another key component of the
muscular-skeletal system. Adipose tissue is a
connective tissue that stores energy in the form of
fat cells, and it cushions joints. It is important in
protecting joints during strained skeletal-muscle
contractions, such as in sports and other strenuous
exercise. The heart and other major ogans are
protected by adipose tissue. Too much adipose
tissue raises the risk of problems like diabetes.
MUSCLES
Muscles allow a person to move, speak, and chew. They
control heartbeat, breathing, and digestion. Other seemingly
unrelated functions, including temperature regulation and
vision, also rely on the muscular system.
Deseases and disorder of
Muscular system
Arthritis
• As we age, our joint tissues become less resilient to
wear and tear and start to degenerate manifesting as
swelling, pain, and oftentimes, loss of mobility of
joints. Changes occur in both joint soft tissues and
the opposing bones, a condition called osteoarthritis.
A more serious form of disease is called rheumatoid
arthritis. The latter is an autoimmune disease
wherein the body produces antibodies against joint
tissues causing chronic inflammation resulting in
severe joint damage, pain and immobility.
Osteoporosis
• “Porous bone.” The bane of the old, especially, women.
The hard, rock-like quality of bone is dependent upon
calcium. When too much calcium is dissolved from
bones or not enough replaced, bones lose density and
are easily fractured. Estrogen, the female sex hormone,
helps maintain proper calcium levels in bones. Once the
ovaries stop producing the hormone, women are at
higher risk of developing osteoporosis. A collapse of
bony vertebrae of the spinal column results in loss of
height and stooped posture. Hip fractures are a
common occurrence.
Osteomalacia
• “Soft bones.” If not enough calcium is deposited
during early childhood development, the bones do
not become rock-hard, but rubbery. Both adequate
calcium in the diet and vitamin D, primarily, from
normal sunlight exposure or supplementation, are
necessary for normal bone development. Before
vitamin supplementation to milk, “rickets,” another
name for osteomalacia in children, was common
resulting in the classic bowed legs of the afflicted
child.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
• People whose job involves repeated flexing of their
wrist (typing, house painting) may develop tingling
and/or pain in their thumb, index and middle fingers
along with weakness of movements of the thumb,
especially, grasping an object. The main nerve for finely
controlled thumb movements passes through a
bony/ligamentous canal on the bottom of the wrist.
Repetitive flexing movements may inflame and thicken
the ligament over the “tunnel” through the carpal
(wrist) bones trapping and compressing the nerve.
Tendonitis
• Repeated strain on a tendon, attachment of a
muscle to bone, can inflame the tendon resulting in
pain and difficulty with movement involving the
muscle. Tendons have a poor blood supply;
therefore, they typically take a long time to heal on
the order of six weeks or more.
Rotator cuff tear
• Muscles surrounding the shoulder joint are
involved in rotating the shoulder with upper arm
and hand forward and backward, among other
movements. The tendons of these muscles also
contribute to the structural strength of the
shoulder joint. Hard, fast movements, such as in
tennis and baseball can tear one of these tendons
resulting in pain and decreased mobility of the
shoulder. Surgery may be needed to repair a torn
tendon.
Bursitis
• A bursa is a small, closed bag with a minimum
amount of lubricatory fluid that serves as a shock
absorber where bones make close contact and to
minimize trauma and friction where tendons cross
bones and joints. Inflammation leads to pain and
immobility in a joint area.
Muscular dystrophy
• Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases
in which the muscles that control movement
progressively weaken. The prefix, dys-, means
abnormal. The root, -trophy, refers to maintaining
normal nourishment, structure and function. The
most common form in children is called Duchenne
muscular dystrophy and affects only males. It
usually appears between the ages of 2 to 6 and the
afflicted live typically into late teens to early 20s.
Myasthenia gravis
• “Muscular weakness, profound”. This is an
autoimmune disease that involves production of
antibodies that interfere with nerves stimulating
muscle contractions. Face and neck muscles are the
most obviously affected, manifesting as drooping
eyelids, double vision, difficulty swallowing and
general fatigue. There is no actual paralysis of
muscles involved, but a rapid fatiguing of function.
Lupus erythematosus
• An autoimmune disease wherein the body produces
antibodies against a variety of organs, especially
connective tissues of skin and joints. Mild Lupus may
involve a distinctive butterfly-shaped rash over the
nose and cheeks. Mild lupus may also involve myalgia
and arthralgia (remember these words?) Severe or
systemic lupus (SLE) involves inflammation of multiple
organ systems such as the heart, lungs, or kidneys. By
the way, lupus means “wolf” in Latin. Maybe a
reference to the facial rash that might give a patient a
wolf-like appearance.
Prevention
Muscle degeneration is a natural part of life. There are a number of reasons
why this happens: physical inactivity, lack of calories to sustain muscle, and
aging. Age-related muscle degeneration (also known as sarcopenia) affects
your ability to do everyday tasks like carrying groceries or even playing with
your children or grandchildren.
Work Out
Regularly
Adults who are physically
inactive lose approximately 3–5%
of their muscle mass every
decade after the age of 30. This
accelerates the older you get.
However, one of the strongest
antidotes to age-related muscle
degeneration is exercise. For
instance, resistance training
helps build strength and increase
muscle growth. Try these four
exercises:
Maintain a
Balanced Diet
It's no secret that diet and
exercise keeps our bodies
running at optimum levels.
However, eating nutritious meals
can also help retain muscle. To
this effect, it's important that you
receive an adequate amount of
nutrients.
Stay Hydrated
We know water is essential to
life. Maintaining a healthy
lifestyle means staying well-
hydrated. However, as we get
older, our bodies tend to lose
more water, which deprives your
muscles of electrolytes. As a
result, muscle strength
decreases. To keep the cells in
your muscles working effectively
and optimally, be sure to
consume the recommended daily
intake of water (which includes
drinking water and consuming it
through foods): 3.7 liters for men
and 2.7 liters for women.
Get Enough
Sleep
A major factor in muscle
degeneration is a lack of sleep. In
fact, rest is just as necessary as
proper nutrition and exercise to
help muscles grow and repair.
Proper sleep increases the
synthesis of proteins and
decreases the rate of muscle
degeneration. The National Sleep
Foundation recommends that
adults get seven to eight hours of
sleep each night for optimum
health.
• By eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and
getting a sufficient amount of sleep, you can slow
the process of age-related muscle degeneration.
That way, you can keep doing the things you enjoy,
whether that's gardening, spending time with your
family, or taking a leisurely stroll in your
neighborhood. Your health is worth it.
The End...