flash cards

Muscular System

A system in the body responsible for movement, posture, respiration, production of body heat, communication, organ constriction, and heart contraction.

Excitability

The ability of muscle cells to respond to stimuli, such as neurochemical signals, leading to muscle contraction.

Contractility

The ability of muscle cells to shorten in length resulting in movement, an active and forceful process.

Extensibility

The capacity of muscle cells to stretch beyond their resting state and still contract effectively.

Elasticity

The ability of muscle cells to recoil back to their original shape after being stretched.

Skeletal Muscle

Muscle connected to the skeleton responsible for voluntary movements.

Cardiac Muscle

Muscle found in the heart, responsible for pumping blood.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary muscle found within the walls of organs and vessels, responsible for constricting them.

Neuromuscular Junction

The connection between a nerve and a muscle where signals for contraction are transmitted.

Sarcomere

The smallest contractile unit of muscle, where actin and myosin rearrange to facilitate contraction.

Actin

The thin filament in sarcomeres that slides during muscle contraction.

Myosin

The thick filament in sarcomeres that interacts with actin to cause muscle contraction.

Satellite Cells

Muscle stem cells present in skeletal muscle that assist in muscle repair and regeneration.

Intercalated Disc

The junctions between cardiac muscle cells that allow for synchronization of contractions.

Smooth Muscle Regeneration

The ability of smooth muscle cells to divide and repair themselves, allowing for effective regeneration.

Cardiac Muscle Regeneration

Cardiac muscle cells do not divide; damaged tissue is replaced by scar tissue that does not function like normal muscle.

Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

Skeletal muscle cells do not divide but have limited satellite cells that can help repair damaged tissue.