Question

Submit your observation of the different Muscle types and describe the distinguishing muscle features and functions

Answer 1

On the basis of structure, location and function, there are three types of muscles: skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle.

Step-by-step explanation:

Skeletal muscle:

- Most abundant type of muscle fiber

- Found attached to bones

- they are voluntary i.e they are under control of our own will.

- These muscle fibers are multinucleated

- Location: attached to bones most commonly muscles with arms, legs, body wall, face, neck.

- Has characteristic striated or striped appearance

- They soon get fatigued

Smooth muscle:

- Unstriped or non-striated muscles

- Found in the walls of hollow visceral organs

- They are involuntary i.e their function cannot be controlled by our will

- These muscles never connect with skeleton

- Muscle fibers are uninucleate

- Location: posterior parts of oesophagus, stomach, intestine, lungs, bladder, etc.

- Helps in involuntary movements such as peristalsis.

- They do not get fatigued

Cardiac muscle:

- Present in heart

- Involuntary in nature

- Composed of branched fibers

- Muscle fibers are uninucleate

- Location: in the wall of heart

- Contract and relax rapidly and rhythmically

- Never get fatigued

Answer 2

Answer and explanation;

Skeletal muscles;

• The primary function is to attach to and move skeleton
• Skeletal muscles consist 40% of the body weight
• They have fibers with multinucleated cells (embryonic cells fuse)
• Nuclei pushed off to the side
• Cells have obvious striations
• Contractions voluntary

Smooth Muscles

• Cells spindle shaped with one central nucleus.
• They are grouped into sheets (often perpendicular to each other)
• They have no striations (no sarcomeres)
• Their contractions slow, sustained, and resistant to fatigue
• They do not always require nervous signal.
• They aid the process of peristalsis
• They provide multiple functions to organs (ex. change diameter and length of tubular organs)
• They are usually on organs that need sustained/regular contractions

Cardiac muscles

• They are only located in the heart
• Their function: reduce size of chambers of the heart (atria/ventricles)
• They have a system of contractile proteins (ie. sarcomeres) and sarcoplasmic reticulum similar to skeletal muscle
• They differ in that; they have single cells, intercalated sics, 1-2 nuclei in center, inherent rhythmicity