MUSCLE AND NERVE TISSUES

Contain cells with the ability to contract

We know that living organisms can move on their own or can perform
other types of movement. Muscle tissue has an ability to
relax and contrast and so bring about movement and mechanical
work in various parts of the body. There are other movements in the
body too which are necessary for the survival of the organism such as
the heartbeat.

Composed of long, cylindrical cells called muscle fibers

Muscle fibers are the cells or basic building block of the muscle.
There are a few different types of muscle fiber, each designed for a
specific type of muscle activity.

Functions:
Muscles produce movement by acting on the bones of the skeleton,
pumping blood, or propelling substances throughout hollow organ
systems.
Muscles aid in maintaining posture by adjusting the position of the body
with respect to gravity.
Muscles stabilize joints by exerting tension around the joint.
Muscles generate heat as a function of their cellular metabolic
processes.

Special characteristics of muscle tissue:

Excitability (ability to receive and respond to a stimulus)
Contractility (ability to contract forcibly when stimulated)
Extensibility (ability to be stretched)
Elasticity (ability to resume the cells original length once stretched)

Muscles can be divided into three main groups according to their

structure:
SKELETAL MUSCLE
It is associated with the bony skeleton, and consists of large
cells that bear striations and are controlled voluntarily.
It function in pairs to bring about the co-ordinated movements of
the limbs, trunk, jaws, eyeballs, etc.

 CARDIAC MUSCLE
Consists of small cells that are striated and under involuntary
control.
It plays the most important role in the contraction of the atria and
ventricles of the heart

It causes the rhythmical beating of the heart, circulating the

blood and its contents throughout the body as a consequence.

SMOOTH MUSCLE
It is found in the walls of hollow organs, and consists of small
elongated cells that are not striated and are under involuntary
control.

It controls slow, involuntary movements such as the contraction

of the smooth muscle tissue in the walls of the stomach and
intestines.