What is muscles tissue

Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Organization at the Tissue Level. Search for:. Muscular Tissue. Characteristics of Muscle Tissue The three types of muscle tissue are skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. Learning Objectives Describe the types of muscle tissue. Key Takeaways Key Points Muscle tissue can be divided functionally, is it under voluntary or involuntary control; and morphologically, striated or non-striated.

An individual muscle fibre is made up of blocks of proteins called myofibrils, which contain a specialised protein myoglobin and molecules to provide the oxygen and energy required for muscle contraction. Each myofibril contains filaments that fold together when given the signal to contract. This shortens the length of the muscle fibre which, in turn, shortens the entire muscle if enough fibres are stimulated at the same time.

The neuromuscular system The brain, nerves and skeletal muscles work together to cause movement. This is collectively known as the neuromuscular system. A typical muscle is serviced by anywhere between 50 and or more branches of specialised nerve cells called motor neurones.

These plug directly into the skeletal muscle. The tip of each branch is called a presynaptic terminal. The point of contact between the presynaptic terminal and the muscle is called the neuromuscular junction. To move a particular body part: The brain sends a message to the motor neurones. This triggers the release of the chemical acetylcholine from the presynaptic terminals. The muscle responds to acetylcholine by contracting.

Shapes of skeletal muscle Generally speaking, skeletal muscles come in four main shapes, including: Spindle — wide through the middle and tapering at both ends, such as the biceps on the front of the upper arm. Flat — like a sheet, such as the diaphragm that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity. Triangular — wider at the bottom, tapered at the top, such as the deltoid muscles of the shoulder.

Circular — a ring-shape like a doughnut, such as the muscles that surround the mouth, the pupils and the anus. These are also known as sphincters. Watch this video to learn more about muscle tissue. In looking through a microscope how could you distinguish skeletal muscle tissue from smooth muscle?

Skip to main content. Chapter 4: The Tissue Level of Organization. Search for:. Muscle Tissue. Learning Objectives Identify the three types of muscle tissue Compare and contrast the functions of each muscle tissue type Explain how muscle tissue can enable motion.

Table 4. Comparison of Structure and Properties of Muscle Tissue Types Tissue Histology Function Location Skeletal Long cylindrical fiber, striated, many peripherally located nuclei Voluntary movement, produces heat, protects organs Attached to bones and around entrance points to body e. Interactive Links Watch this video to learn more about muscle tissue. Intercalated discs have both anchoring junctions and gap junctions. Attached cells form long, branching cardiac muscle fibers that act as a syncytium, allowing the cells to synchronize their actions.

The cardiac muscle pumps blood through the body and is under involuntary control. Smooth muscle tissue contraction is responsible for involuntary movements in the internal organs. It forms the contractile component of the digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems as well as the airways and blood vessels.

Each cell is spindle shaped with a single nucleus and no visible striations Figure 4. Watch this video to learn more about muscle tissue.

In looking through a microscope how could you distinguish skeletal muscle tissue from smooth muscle? The three types of muscle cells are skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. Their morphologies match their specific functions in the body. Skeletal muscle is voluntary and responds to conscious stimuli. The cells are striated and multinucleated appearing as long, unbranched cylinders. Cardiac muscle is involuntary and found only in the heart.

Each cell is striated with a single nucleus and they attach to one another to form long fibers. Cells are attached to one another at intercalated disks. The cells are interconnected physically and electrochemically to act as a syncytium.