Specialised Muscle

types of muscle tissues : skeletal, cardiac, smooth. Each of these different tissues has the ability

The nerve receives stimulation from the central nervous system to contract (shorten) during dorsiflexion. “Muscle contraction is an active process and requires energy (derived from glucose) in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)”. (O’Callaghan M 2013). ATP “is molecular store of chemical energy for chemical reactions” (Waugh & Grant 2014). The muscles relax when stimulation stops therefore returning to original length. In order for muscles to operate at optimum levels there has to be a good blood supply in order to provide oxygen, nutrients, calcium and also to remove waste materials.

Second we have extension, which is the opposite of flexion, causing an increase in angles between body parts. The best example exercise for extension would be leg extensions, which causes movement and extension at the knee in order to stretch and strengthen the legs.

Fixator muscles act as a stabiliser for one body part during the movement of another. The

Skeletal muscle- these attach to the bones and have the main function of contracting to facilitate movement of the skeleton. Skeletal muscles can be called voluntary muscles; this is because we have control over them through nervous impulses from our brains which send messages to the muscle. Contractions can produce powerful, fast movements or small precision actions. Skeletal muscles also have the ability to stretch or contract and still return to their original shape.

Henneman (1965) investigated the relationship of neuron excitability and its size in the stretch reflex of the triceps surae muscle of the decrebrated cat. His finding lead him to believe there is a set of principles dictating the order of muscle unit recruitment as dictated by size which he coined the size principle.

One example of a movement at a synovial joint would be flexion. Flexion is a physical position that declines the angle between the bones of the limb at a joint. It happens when muscles contract and bones change the joint into a bent position. For example, bending the elbow, or clenching a hand into a fist, are examples of flexion. When sitting down, the knees are flexed. When a joint can move forward and backward, such as the neck and trunk, flexion refers to movement in the anterior direction. Flexion of the shoulder or hip refers to movement of the arm or leg forward. Extension the opposite to flexion. Extension is the bodily position that will increase the angle at a joint between the bones. For example, when standing up, the knees extend.

A good example of this would be pushing against a wall. The muscles of the upper body and arms are generating a force to push against a wall, but as no movement is occurring, the is no shortening or lengthening of muscles.

The main function of the muscular system is to make the body move. Although it is the skeleton that enables movement, only muscles can actually move. Muscles only can pull not push, so muscles have to work in pairs to make the bones move in more than one direction and increase the possible amount of movement this way. To do that the muscles cross the joint they move, when a muscle contracts it pulls on the bones and makes them move this way. Muscles are made of many tiny muscle fibres. Those individual muscle fibres are either fully contracted or fully relaxed but they cannot all be fully relaxed at once because your muscles always have to be read to contract in case you have to defence yourself by, for example, running away or fighting. Even

The muscles of the body are attached to the bones and contract to move. A muscle can do one of two things: it can contract, or it can relax. Your brain sends the impulse to move through your central nervous system and throughout your nerves. Then, the impulses cause

Muscles are a major factor in the everyday function of the body, from mobility to the blood circulation. With over 600 muscles in the body making up the muscular system, consisting of 3 muscle types: skeletal, smooth and cardiac. With the smooth and cardiac muscles being involuntary muscles meaning that they are not controlled consciously, however the skeletal muscle is voluntary henceforth contract or relax at the will of the persons movement.

Muscle tissue provides the body with movement through the contraction and relaxation of muscles. These tissues can be further divided into three types of tissues: smooth muscle, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle. Each type of muscle provides movement for the different parts of the body, including the heart, muscles, bones and the movement of food and liquids in the digestive tract.

The muscular system enables the body to carry out all kinds of movements such as extension, rotation, abduction, adduction and flexion. For example the bicep helps to flex the arm and triceps help to extend the arm (working antagonistically).

“Muscle tissues are highly cellular, well-vascularized tissues that are responsible for most types of body movements” (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013, p. 136). All muscle cells contain the myofilaments actin and myosin which bring about movement and contraction in all cell types. There are three main classes of muscle tissue; skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscles form the flesh of the body and are attached to the bones of the skeleton. Skeletal muscles allow for voluntary movement, facial expressions, and locomotion. Cardiac muscle is found only in the walls of the heart. Cardiac muscle contraction allows blood to push through blood vessels and to the rest of the body. Smooth muscle is found mostly in the walls of hollow organs such as the digestive tract. This muscle appears “smooth” with no

* The terminal end of the axon nears the surface of a muscle fiber at its motor end plate region (remain separated by synaptic cleft gap)