Muscle & Nervous Tissue

What are the three types of muscle tissue?

Skeletal, cardiac, and smooth.

Skeletal Muscle

Long, cylindrical, striated, voluntary muscle.

Where is skeletal muscle found?

Attached to bones and sometimes skin.

What is the function of skeletal muscle?

Produces body movement, maintains posture, and generates heat.

How do you identify skeletal muscle?

Long parallel fibers with obvious striations and many nuclei at the edges.

Memory trick for skeletal muscle

Skeleton = moves your bones.

Cardiac Muscle

Striated, branched, involuntary muscle.

Where is cardiac muscle found?

Heart.

What is the function of cardiac muscle?

Pumps blood throughout the body.

How do you identify cardiac muscle?

Branched cells with striations, one or two central nuclei, and intercalated discs.

What are intercalated discs?

Specialized junctions that connect cardiac muscle cells and help them contract together.

Memory trick for cardiac muscle

Cardiac = heart = intercalated discs.

Smooth Muscle

Nonstriated, involuntary muscle.

Where is smooth muscle found?

Walls of hollow organs like the stomach, intestines, bladder, uterus, and blood vessels.

What is the function of smooth muscle?

Moves substances through organs and controls the diameter of blood vessels.

How do you identify smooth muscle?

Spindle-shaped cells with one central nucleus and no striations.

Memory trick for smooth muscle

Smooth = no stripes.

Which muscle tissue is voluntary?

Skeletal muscle.

Which muscle tissue is involuntary?

Cardiac and smooth muscle.

Which muscle tissue has striations?

Skeletal and cardiac muscle.

Which muscle tissue does NOT have striations?

Smooth muscle.

Which muscle tissue has multiple nuclei?

Skeletal muscle.

Which muscle tissue has branched cells?

Cardiac muscle.

Which muscle tissue has intercalated discs?

Cardiac muscle.

Which muscle tissue lines hollow organs?

Smooth muscle.

What is nervous tissue?

Tissue specialized for communication and control.

What are the two main cell types in nervous tissue?

Neurons and neuroglia (glial cells).

Neuron

The functional cell of the nervous system that sends electrical signals.

What are the three main parts of a neuron?

Cell body, dendrites, and axon.

What is the function of dendrites?

Receive incoming signals.

What is the function of the axon?

Carries signals away from the cell body.

What is the function of the cell body?

Contains the nucleus and keeps the neuron alive.

Multipolar Neuron

Neuron with many dendrites and one axon; the most common neuron type.

Where are multipolar neurons found?

Brain and spinal cord.

How do you identify a multipolar neuron?

Large cell body with many branching dendrites.

Pseudounipolar Neuron

Sensory neuron with one process that splits into two branches.

Where are pseudounipolar neurons found?

Sensory ganglia of spinal nerves.

How do you identify a pseudounipolar neuron?

Round cell body attached to a single process.

What are neuroglia (glial cells)?

Support cells that protect, nourish, and assist neurons.

Do neuroglia conduct nerve impulses?

No.

Which nervous tissue cell carries electrical impulses?

Neuron.

Which nervous tissue cell supports neurons?

Neuroglia.

Which neuron is most common in the CNS?

Multipolar neuron.

Which neuron is a sensory neuron?

Pseudounipolar neuron.

Which muscle tissue has striations and many nuclei?

Skeletal muscle.

Which muscle tissue has striations and intercalated discs?

Cardiac muscle.

Which muscle tissue has spindle-shaped cells?

Smooth muscle.

Which muscle tissue pumps blood?

Cardiac muscle.

Which muscle tissue moves food through the digestive tract?

Smooth muscle.

Which muscle tissue moves bones?

Skeletal muscle.