Peering into the microscopic world of muscle tissue, we unravel the intricate design and function of muscle histology. A journey that explores the cellular architecture that powers our every move, from the smallest twitch to the most strenuous exertion.
Muscle Function
Muscle function: contraction for locomotion and skeletal movement, contraction for propulsion, and contraction for pressure regulation
- Morphological classification: muscle tissue may be classified according to a morphological classification or a functional classification
- There are three types of muscle: Skeletal muscle, Cardiac muscle, and Smooth muscle
- Characteristics of skeletal muscle: elongated, tubular, and smooth
- Functional classification: voluntary, non-striated, and involuntary
- Shapes of skeletal muscles: parallel, fusiform, and convergent
- Pattern of light and dark bands: alternating patterns
Muscle terminology
sarcolemma: the plasma membrane of a muscle cell. sarcomere: the contractile or functional unit of muscle.
- sarcoplasm: the cytoplasm of the muscle cell, sarcosome
- an origin: a connective tissue sheath that electrically insulates individual muscle cells from each other, and an insertion: a tendinous connection of muscle to bone, usually the bone to be moved.
A myofibril is a cylindrical bundle of contractile proteins found within the muscle cell.
Myofibrils are divided into thick and thin myofilaments, and are composed mainly of proteins known as actin and myosin
- Muscle contract when they receive a motor impulse from a motor nerve
- Motor units allow for selective contraction of muscle fibers so that we may control the strength and extent of muscle contraction.
