Final answer:
Skeletal muscles constitute approximately 40-50% of an average adult male's body weight and 30-40% of an average adult female's body weight. They play crucial roles in movement, posture, and various bodily functions, with about 650 skeletal muscles present in the human body.
Step-by-step explanation:
Skeletal Muscles and Body Weight
Skeletal muscles, or voluntary muscles, are key components of the musculoskeletal system and play a critical role in movement, posture, and bodily functions. An average adult male has a body composition of approximately 40-50% skeletal muscle, while an average adult female has around 30-40% skeletal muscle. This muscle mass is essential for actions ranging from simple motions like facial expressions to complex ones like running and maintaining thermal homeostasis through processes such as shivering. With around 650 skeletal muscles in the human body, these muscles also contribute to maintaining posture, skeletal stability, and protecting internal organs.
Skeletal muscles are made up of muscle fibers bundled and enveloped in connective tissue. Not only do these muscles enable voluntary movements through contraction, but they also make constant adjustments to hold the body upright or balanced. The myocytes or muscle cells that make up the skeletal muscle tissue have a striated appearance and are multinucleated, which is a result of myoblast fusion during development. Due to the substantial size and complex functionality of skeletal muscles, they comprise a significant percentage of an individual's body mass.