MUSCLES:

TYPES & FUNCTION

BIO-3112: Tissue Biochemistry

Made By: Amna Fatima Ghayoor

Biochemistry BS-III
INTRODUCTION
• Muscles are soft contractile tissues that function to produce motion and force.
• Muscle cells contain protein filaments of actin and myosin that slide past one
another, producing a contraction that changes both the length and the shape of
the cell.
• The human body has over 600 muscles, which make up around 40 percent of
our bodyweight.
• Muscle is contractile tissue grouped into coordinated systems for greater
efficiency.
• The three types of muscles are striated (or skeletal), cardiac, and smooth (or
non-striated).
SKELETAL MUSCLE
INTRODUCTION
• Skeletal muscle is voluntary muscle,
under control of somatic nervous
system.
• It is anchored by tendons to bone and
used for movement and posture
maintenance.
• It is striated; it has repeating functional
units called sarcomeres.
• Skeletal muscle fibres are bound
together by connective tissue and
communicate with nerves and blood
vessels.
STRUCTURE
• Skeletal muscles are composed of muscle
cells (fibers), connective tissue, blood
vessels, nerves.
• Fibers are long, cylindrical, and
multinucleated.
• They tend to have smaller diameter in
small muscles and larger in large muscles;
1mm to 4cm in length.
• Nuclei are peripherally located
• Each muscle fiber acts independently of
neighboring muscle fibers.
SKELETAL MUSCLE
SKELETAL MUSCLE SHAPES
 FUNCTIONS
• The integrated action of joints, bones, • Posture is maintained as a result of muscle
and skeletal muscles produces obvious contraction. The skeletal muscles are
movements such as walking and continually making fine adjustments that
running. hold the body in stationary positions.
• Skeletal muscles also produce more • The tendons of many muscles extend over
subtle movements that result in various joints and in this way contribute to joint
facial expressions, eye movements, and stability.
respiration.
• Heat production, to maintain body
• Other important functions in the body, temperature, is an important by-product of
such as posture, joint stability, and heat muscle metabolism. Nearly 85% of the
production. heat produced in the body is the result of
muscle contraction.
SMOOTH MUSCLE
INTRODUCTION
• Smooth muscle is found in the walls of
the hollow internal organs such as blood
vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, bladder,
and uterus.
• They are under control of the autonomic
nervous system, they are involuntary
muscles.
• They are non-striated, have spindle-shape
with one central nucleus.
• They contract slowly and rhythmically.
STRUCTURE
• The size of smooth muscle cell is 3-10μm
thick and 20-200μm long.
• The cytoplasm consists of myofilaments:
 Actin filaments are stretched between dense
bodies
 Myosin filaments lie between the actin
filaments
 Intermediate filaments support the cell
structure, connecting dense bodies.

• The smooth muscle cells are anchored to

the surrounding connective tissue.
LOCATION & FUNCTION
• Smooth muscles are found in the walls • The smooth muscles in the walls of the
of hollow organs, like the intestine, intestines contract and push food
uterus, and stomach. forward (peristalsis).
• They are also found in the walls of • During childbirth, the smooth muscles
passageways including arteries and in a woman’s uterus contract.
vein in the cardiovascular system.
• Smooth muscles are also present within
• The urinary, respiratory and the walls of the bladder, the bronchi,
reproductive system tracts also contain and the arrector pili in the skin, which
smooth muscles. makes the hair stand up.
• They are also present in the eyes,
where they act to change iris size and
shape of the lens.
CARDIAC MUSCLE
INTRODUCTION
• Cardiac muscle is found in the walls of the
heart.
• It is under the control of autonomic nervous
system; thus, it is involuntary.
• The cardiac muscle cell has one central
nucleus, like smooth muscle, but it is also
striated like skeletal muscle.
• The contraction of cardiac muscle is
involuntary, strong, and rhythmical.
• They contain gap junctions that allow the
cells to be electrically coupled so they beat
in synchronization.
STRUCTURE
• Viewed through a microscope, cardiac muscle
cells are roughly rectangular, measuring 100–
150μm by 30–40μm.
• Cardiac muscle cells form highly branched
cellular network in the heart.
• They are connected end to end by intercalated
disc and are organized into layered myocardial
tissue that are wrapped around the chamber of
the heart.
• Cardiac muscle cells contain many
mitochondria which provide the energy needed
for the cell in the form of ATP, making them
highly resistant to fatigue.
 SUMMARY

• Skeletal muscles are • Smooth muscles are • Cardiac muscles are

Smooth

Cardiac
Skeletal

the striated muscles, not highly ordered a type of muscle

which are typically and found in the gut found in heart, and
attached to the and other internal are striated.
skeleton and are organs. • They are branching
under voluntary • They are single, chains of cells,
control. tapering cells with which are
• They are very long, one nucleus. connected by
cylindrical, porous intercalated
multinucleated cells. discs with a single
nucleus.
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
• https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/muscular/types.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle
• https://www.britannica.com/science/skeletal-muscle
• https://www.britannica.com/science/muscle/Muscle-types#ref58933
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249192
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_muscle