Muscle Types and Their Functions 3

Flashcards covering the types of muscle tissue and their key features, functions, and components.

Cardiac Muscle

Muscle found in the heart, characterized by intercalated discs, involuntary control, and responsible for pumping blood.

Intercalated Discs

Structures that connect cardiomyocytes, containing desmosomes for structural support and gap junctions for electrical coupling.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary muscle found in the walls of internal organs, responsible for various functions like peristalsis and vasoconstriction, featuring a single nucleus.

Skeletal Muscle

Voluntary muscle attached to bones, characterized by multinucleation and striations, responsible for movement and posture.

Myofibrils

Units of skeletal muscle fibers composed of sarcomeres, essential for muscle contractions.

Sarcomeres

Basic contractile units of muscle tissue made of actin and myosin filaments.

Z-Lines

Boundaries of sarcomeres in striated muscle tissue, anchoring actin filaments.

Mitochondria

Organelles abundant in cardiac muscle cells, responsible for continuous energy production.

Desmosomes

Cell structures providing structural support and anchoring cells together in cardiac muscle.

Autonomic Nervous System

Part of the nervous system that controls involuntary muscle function, including smooth muscle activity.