Muscle Types

Name the 3 Muscle Types:

- Skeletal muscle

- Cardiac muscle

- Involuntary muscle (smooth)

Skeletal muscle is also known as...

voluntary muscle

What is voluntary muscle?

Muscle responsible for movement under conscious control

Skeletal muscle contraction speed, and structure

Rapid

Striated due to bands of actin and myosin. Cells are cylindrical and multinucleate.

How are skeletal muscle arranged?

Regularly arranged so muscle contractions in one direction

Where is cardiac muscle found?

In the heart. It contracts to pump blood around the body.

Cardiac muscle is myogenic. What does that mean?

It contracts on its own without nervous stimulation and initiates its own regular rhythm.

Is cardiac control voluntary or involuntary?

Involuntary

Cardiac muscle contraction speed, and structure

Intermediate

Striated (but fainter than skeletal). Cells are branched and intercalated, resulting in simultaneous contraction. Uninucleate.

Is smooth muscle voluntary or involuntary control?

Involuntary

Smooth muscle contraction speed, and structure

Slow

No striations, spindle shaped cells, uninucleate

What does spindle shaped cells mean?

What are smooth muscles involved in?

Peristalsis

Controlling the diameter of bronchi and pupil size and arteries/arterioles

What is the arrangement of smooth muscle?

There's no regular arrangement, contraction can occur in different directions