Muscle Tissue

The main characteristic of muscle tissue

is its ability to contract, or shorten, making movement possible. Muscle contraction results from contractile proteins located within the muscle cells. Muscle cells often resemble tiny threads & are sometimes called muscle fibers

Types of Muscle Tissue

Skeletal Muscle- constitutes about 40% of the
bodys weight, attaches to the skeleton & enables movement. Normally under voluntary control. Usually long & cylindrical with several nuclei per cell. Skeletal muscle is striated or banded because of the arrangement of contractile proteins.

Cardiac Muscle

Muscle of the heart Responsible for pumping blood. Under involuntary control. Cylindrical in shape but much shorter than skeletal muscle cells. Usually striated and have one nucleus per cell. Often branched or connected to another by intercalated disks- which contain specialized gap junctions & are important to the contraction process.

Smooth Muscle
Forms the walls of hollow organs (except
the heart), also found in the skin & eyes. Responsible for a number of functions, such as movement of food through the digestive tract & emptying the urinary bladder. Controlled involuntary. Smooth muscle is tapered at each end, have a single nucleus, & are not striated.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Defective dystrophin (protein) Symptoms present before age 6 Progressive weakening of muscle Wheelchair bound by 10 Death usually by 25 More prevalent in males

How do muscles contract?