Chapter 8

Muscular System
What is the function of
the muscular system?
 Muscular System
Organs: Muscle tissue
(skeletal, smooth, and
cardiac)

Function: Moves bones at

joints and pushes
substances such as blood,
food, and fluids throughout
the body.
 8.1 Introduction
- All movements
require muscle
which are organs
using chemical
energy to
contract.
- 3 types of muscle:
skeletal, smooth,
and cardiac
 What are the two kinds of
protein filaments that make up
a myofibril?
Myosin (thick protein filament)
and Actin (thin protein
filament)
 8.2 Structure of Skeletal Muscle

- By weight, human
body is ~ 40%
skeletal muscle
- Each muscle is an
organ, comprised
of skeletal muscle
tissue, connective
tissues, nervous
tissue, and blood
 8.3 Skeletal Muscle Contraction
- Muscle contraction involves shortening of
sarcomeres, and pulling of muscle against its
attachments.
 Sliding Filament Theory
• Myosin (thick) filaments combine with Actin (thin)
filaments, forming actomyosin
• Filaments slide past each other
• Reaction between actin & myosin generates force of
contraction.
 8.5 Smooth Muscles
- Elongated with tapered
ends, lack striations
and have a undeveloped
sarcoplasmic reticulum
 2 Types of Smooth Muscle
1. Multiunit smooth
muscle
- blood vessels and
iris of eye, fibers
separate rather
than in sheets
 2 Types of Smooth Muscle

2. Visceral Smooth
Muscle
– Sheets
– found in the walls of
hollow organs
– fibers stimulate one
another (rhythmicity)
– responsible for
peristalsis in hollow
organs and tubes
How does smooth muscle differ
from skeletal muscle?
 8.6 Cardiac Muscle
- Only found in heart
- Mechanism of
contraction is almost
same as skeletal and
smooth muscle
- Branching, striated,
cells interconnected
 8.7 Skeletal Muscle
Actions
Origin and Insertion
- The immovable
end of a muscle is
the origin, while
the movable end
is the insertion;
contraction pulls
the insertion
toward the origin.
- Some muscles
have more than
one insertion or
origin.
 Interaction of Skeletal Muscles
- Prime Mover: the one doing most of the
work
- Synergists: Helper muscles
- Antagonists: Opposing muscles
Example: When
extending the forearm…
Triceps brachii (prime
mover)
Biceps brachii
(anatogonist)
 8.8 Major
Skeletal Muscles

Muscles are named according to:

size, shape, location, action, number of
attachments, or direction of fibers
What is an origin
of muscle?
What is an
insertion?
Origin –
immovable end
of muscle
Insertion –
movable end of
muscle
How does
cardiac
muscle differ
from skeletal
muscle?
Cardiac muscle is
only found in the
heart and is
branching,
striated, and has
interconnected
cells (intercalated
disks)