14. Muscle tissues

How many main types of muscle tissues are there?

3 main types with different structures and functions

What are the muscle tissue examples?

Skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle

Where is skeletal muscle found? What do they do?

Found attached to bones and move the skeleton

What do skeletal muscles have?

Has bands of long cells called fibres, which can contract powerfully, but tire easily

What kind of muscles are skeletal?

Voluntary muscles -> Can choose whether or not to contract these muscles

Describe the fibres in skeletal muscles?

Fibres form striped pattern which can be viewed under microscope -> can be referred to as striped or striated muscle

What does smooth muscle have?

Has individual spindle shaped cells that can contract rhythmically but less powerfully than skeletal muscle

Where does smooth muscle occur?

Occur in skin, in walls of blood vessels and in digestive + respiratory tracts

What kind of muscles are smooth muscles?

Involuntary muscles -> cannot control muscles

What is a big difference between skeletal and smooth muscle?

Smooth muscle don’t have stripes so are called unstriped or unstriated muscle

Where is cardiac muscle found?

In the heart

Describe cardiac muscle

Structure and properties are in between skeletal and smooth

How do cardiac muscles contract?

Contract rhythmically without any stimulation from nerves or hormones, although these can modify their contraction

What does cardiac muscle not do?

Does not tire