Structure and Functions of

Muscle
Types of Muscles

Skeletal
w Voluntary muscle; controlled consciously
w Over 600 throughout the body

Cardiac
w Controls itself with assistance from the
nervous and endocrine systems
w Only in the heart

Smooth
w Involuntary muscle; controlled unconsciously
w In the walls of blood vessels and internal
organs
 Characteristics of Muscles
 Muscle cells are elongated
(muscle cell = muscle fiber)
 Contraction of muscles is due to the
movement of microfilaments
 All muscles share some terminology
 Prefix myo refers to muscle
 Prefix mys refers to muscle
 Prefix sarco refers to flesh
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 Skeletal Muscle Characteristics

 Most are attached by tendons to bones

 Cells are multinucleate
 Striated – have visible banding
 Voluntary – subject to conscious control
 Cells are surrounded and bundled by
connective tissue = great force, but tires
easily
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
 Connective Tissue Wrappings of
Skeletal Muscle

 Endomysium –
around single
muscle fiber
 Perimysium –
around a
fascicle
(bundle) of
fibers
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 Connective Tissue Wrappings of
Skeletal Muscle

 Epimysium –
covers the
entire skeletal
muscle
 Fascia – on the
outside of the
epimysium

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 Skeletal Muscle Attachments
 Epimysium blends into a connective
tissue attachment
 Tendon – cord-like structure
 Aponeuroses – sheet-like structure
 Sites of muscle attachment
 Bones
 Cartilages
 Connective tissue coverings
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
 Smooth Muscle Characteristics
 Has no striations
 Spindle-shaped
cells
 Single nucleus
 Involuntary – no
conscious control
 Found mainly in
the walls of hollow
organs
 Slow, sustained
and tireless
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
 Cardiac Muscle Characteristics
 Has striations
 Usually has a
single nucleus
 Joined to another
muscle cell at an
intercalated disc
 Involuntary
 Found only in the
heart
 Steady pace!
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
 Function of Muscles

 Produce movement
 Maintain posture
 Stabilize joints
 Generate heat

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

The Basic Structure of Muscle
Structure of a Single Muscle Fiber
 Key Points
The Muscle Fiber
• An individual muscle cell is called a muscle fiber.
• A muscle fiber is enclosed by a plasma
membrane called the sarcolemma.
• The cytoplasm of a muscle fiber is called a
sarcoplasm.
• Within the sarcoplasm, the T-tubules allow
transport of substances throughout the muscle
fiber and the sarcoplasmic reticulum stores
calcium.
Alpha Motor Neurons
 Key Points
The Myofibril
• Myofibrils are made up of sarcomeres, the smallest
functional units of a muscle.
• A sarcomere is composed of filaments of two
proteins, myosin and actin, which are responsible
for muscle contraction.
• Myosin is a thick filament with a globular head at
one end.
• An actin filament—composed of actin, tropomyosin,
and troponin—is attached to a Z-disk.
 Events Leading to
Muscle Fiber Contraction

1. A motor neuron releases acetylcholine (ACh).

2. ACh binds to receptors on the sarcolemma.
3. The action potential triggers release of Ca2.
4. The Ca2 binds to troponin on the actin filament, and
the troponin pulls tropomyosin off the active sites,
allowing myosin heads to attach to the actin
filament.
EVENTS LEADING TO MUSCLE ACTION
ARRANGEMENT OF FILAMENTS
IN A SARCOMERE
CONTRACTING MUSCLE FIBER
ACTIN FILAMENT
 Key Points
Muscle Fiber Contraction
• Muscle action is initiated by a nerve impulse.
• The nerve releases ACh, which allows sodium to
enter and depolarize the cell. If the cell is
sufficiently depolarized, an action potential occurs,
which releases stored Ca2 ions.
• Ca2 ions bind with troponin, which lifts the
tropomyosin molecules off the active sites on the
actin filament. These open sites allow the myosin
heads to bind to them.

(continued)
 Key Points (continued)
Muscle Fiber Contraction
• Once myosin binds with actin, the myosin head tilts
and pulls the actin filament so they slide across each
other.
• Muscle contraction ends when calcium is pumped
out of the sarcoplasm to the sarcoplasmic reticulum
for storage.
• Energy for muscle contraction is provided when the
myosin head binds to ATP. ATPase on the myosin
head splits the ATP into a usable energy source.
Muscle Biopsy

w Hollow needle is inserted into muscle to take a sample.

w Sample is mounted, frozen, thinly sliced, and examined
under a microscope.
w Allows study of muscle fibers and the effects of acute
exercise and exercise training on fiber composition.
 Functional Classifications of
Muscles
Agonists are prime movers; they’re responsible for the
movement.
Antagonists oppose the agonists to prevent
overstretching of them.
Synergists assist the agonists and sometimes fine-tune
the direction of movement.
TYPES OF MUSCLE ACTION
Factors Influencing Force Generation

• Number of motor units activated

• Type of motor units activated
• Muscle size
• Initial muscle length
• Joint angle
• Speed of muscle action (shortening or lengthening)
 Key Points
Use of Muscles
• Muscles involved in movement can be classified as
agonists, antagonists, and synergists.
• Three types of muscle action are concentric, static,
and eccentric.
• Force production is increased by recruiting more
motor units.
 Key Points
Use of Muscles
• All joints have an optimal angle at which the muscles
crossing the joint produce maximal force.
• The angle of maximal force depends on the relative
position of the muscle’s insertion on the bone and the
load placed on the muscle.
• Speed of action affects the amount of force produced.