Muscle Tissues Overview

These flashcards cover the key concepts, definitions, and distinctions among the three types of muscle tissue: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac.

Muscle Tissue

Tissues that are excitable and respond to stimulation to generate forces.

Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Voluntary muscle tissue that is striated, multinucleate, and attached to bones.

Smooth Muscle Tissue

Involuntary, non-striated muscle tissue with spindle-shaped cells and a single nucleus, found in hollow organs.

Cardiac Muscle Tissue

Involuntary, striated muscle tissue found only in the heart; cells are branched and interconnected with intercalated discs.

Conscious Effort

Control over skeletal muscle contraction, allowing for voluntary movement.

Involuntary Muscle

Muscle that cannot be controlled consciously, such as smooth and cardiac muscles.

Striations

Alternating light and dark cross-markings found in striated muscle tissues.

Intercalated Discs

Specialized junctions between cardiac muscle cells that allow for coordinated contraction.

Multinucleate

Having multiple nuclei, a characteristic of skeletal muscle fibers.

Spindle-shaped Cells

Characteristics of smooth muscle cells, which are shorter and have a single nucleus.