EXAM 3: Muscle Types and Function

A set of vocabulary flashcards focused on the differences between smooth and skeletal muscle fibers and related muscle functions.

Smooth Muscle Fibers

Muscle fibers with thicker filaments that have myosin heads along their entire length and no troponin complex.

Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Muscle fibers with a ratio of thick to thin filaments that is higher than in smooth muscle.

Calmodulin

A protein that binds calcium ions in smooth muscle, facilitating contraction.

Muscles of Mastication

Muscles responsible for movements involved in chewing, innervated by cranial nerve V.

Temporalis and Masseter

Prime movers of jaw closure during mastication.

Pterygoids

Muscles involved in grinding movements of the jaw.

Buccinator

A muscle that helps in the chewing process by keeping food between the teeth.

Extrinsic Tongue Muscles

Muscles that anchor and move the tongue including genioglossus, hyoglossus, and styloglossus.

Erector Spinae

A group of muscles that extend the vertebral column and help maintain posture.

Semispinalis Muscles

Group of muscles in the neck and back that assist in head and trunk movements.