Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology

Elaine N. Marieb

Chapter 6
The Muscular System
 The Muscular System
 Muscles are responsible for all types of
body movement – they contract or
shorten and are the “machines” of the
body
 Three basic muscle types are found in
the body
 Skeletal muscle
 Cardiac muscle
 Smooth muscle
Characteristics of Muscles
 Skeletal & smooth 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
Skeletal Muscle Characteristics
 Most are attached by tendons to bones
 Cells are multinucleated
 Striated – have visible banding
 Voluntary – subject to conscious control
 Cells are surrounded and bundled by
connective tissue = great force, but tires
easily
Skeletal Muscle
Connective Tissue Wrappings of
Skeletal Muscle
 Endomysium –
around a single
muscle fiber
 Perimysium –
around a
fascicle
(bundle) of
fibers
Connective Tissue Wrappings of
Skeletal Muscle

 Epimysium –
covers the
entire skeletal
muscle
 Fascia – on the
outside of the
epimysium
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
 Smooth Muscle Characteristics
 No striations
 Spindle-shaped
cells
 Single nucleus
 Involuntary – no
conscious control
 Found mainly in the
walls of hollow
organs
 Slow, sustained
contractions (tireless)
Smooth Muscle
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!
Cardiac Muscle
 Muscle Functions

 Produce movement
 Maintain posture
 Stabilize joints
 Generate heat
Microscopic Anatomy of
Skeletal Muscle
 Cells are multinucleate
 Nuclei are just beneath the specialized
plasma membrane called  Sarcolemma
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
 Myofibril
 Bundles of myofilaments
 Myofibrils are aligned to give distinct bands
(striations)
 I band =
light band
 A band =
dark band
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
 Sarcomere
 Contractile unit of a muscle fiber
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
 Organization of the sarcomere
 Thick filaments = Myosin filaments
 Composed of the protein myosin
 Contain ATPase enzymes
 Extend the entire length of the dark A band
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
 Myosin filaments
 Myosin heads
 Create cross bridges
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
 Organization of the sarcomere
 Thin filaments = Actin filaments
 Composed of the protein actin
 Anchored to the Z disc
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal
Muscle
 Sarcoplasmic reticulum
 Specialized smooth endoplasmic reticulum
 Stores and releases calcium on demand
when the muscle fiber is stimulated to
contract
 Skeletal Muscle Activity
Stimulation & Contraction of Single
Skeletal Muscle Cells
 Irritability – ability to receive and
respond to a stimulus
 Contractility – ability to shorten when
an adequate stimulus is received
Nerve Stimulus to Muscles
 Skeletal
muscles must
be stimulated
by a nerve to
contract (motor
neruron)
 Motor unit
 One neuron
 Muscle cells
stimulated by
that neuron
Nerve Stimulus to Muscles

 Neuromuscular
junctions –
association site
of nerve and
muscle
Nerve Stimulus to Muscles
 Synaptic cleft –
gap between
nerve and
muscle
 Nerve and
muscle do not
make contact
 Area between
nerve and muscle
is filled with
interstitial fluid
Transmission of Nerve Impulse to
Muscle
 Neurotransmitter – chemical released
by nerve upon arrival of nerve impulse
 The neurotransmitter for skeletal muscle is
acetylcholine
 Neurotransmitter attaches to receptors
on the sarcolemma
 Sarcolemma becomes permeable to
sodium (Na+)
Transmission of Nerve Impulse to
Muscle

 Sodium rushing into the cell generates

an action potential
 Once started, muscle contraction cannot
be stopped
 The Sliding Filament Theory of
Muscle Contraction
 Activation by nerve
causes myosin
heads
(crossbridges) to
attach to binding
sites on the thin
filament
 Myosin heads then
bind to the next site
of the thin filament
The Sliding Filament Theory of
Muscle Contraction

 This continued
action causes a
sliding of the myosin
along the actin
 The result is that the
muscle is shortened
(contracted)
The Sliding Filament Theory
Contraction of a Skeletal Muscle
 Muscle fiber contraction is “all or none”
 Within a skeletal muscle, not all fibers
may be stimulated during the same
interval
 Different combinations of muscle fiber
contractions may give differing
responses
 Graded responses – different degrees
of skeletal muscle shortening, rapid
stimulus = constant contraction or
tetanus
Muscle Response to Strong Stimuli

 Muscle force depends upon the number

of fibers stimulated
 More fibers contracting results in greater
muscle tension
 Muscles can continue to contract unless
they run out of energy
Energy for Muscle Contraction

 Initially, muscles used stored ATP for

energy
 Bonds of ATP are broken to release energy
 Only 4-6 seconds worth of ATP is stored by
muscles
 After this initial time, other pathways
must be utilized to produce ATP
Energy for Muscle Contraction
 Direct phosphorylation
 Muscle cells contain creatine
phosphate (CP)
 CP is a high-energy
molecule
 After ATP is depleted, ADP is
left
 CP transfers energy to ADP,
to regenerate ATP
 CP supplies are exhausted in
about 20 seconds
Energy for Muscle Contraction

 Anaerobic glycolysis
 Reaction that breaks
down glucose without
oxygen
 Glucose is broken down
to pyruvic acid to
produce some ATP
 Pyruvic acid is
converted to lactic acid
Energy for Muscle Contraction

 Anaerobic glycolysis
(continued)
 This reaction is not as
efficient, but is fast
 Huge amounts of
glucose are needed
 Lactic acid produces
muscle fatigue
Energy for Muscle Contraction
 Aerobic Respiration
 Series of metabolic
pathways that occur in
the mitochondria
 Glucose is broken down
to carbon dioxide and
water, releasing energy
 This is a slower reaction
that requires continuous
oxygen
Muscle Fatigue and Oxygen Debt
 When a muscle is fatigued, it is unable to
contract
 The common reason for muscle fatigue is
oxygen debt
 Oxygen must be “repaid” to tissue to remove
oxygen debt
 Oxygen is required to get rid of accumulated
lactic acid
 Increasing acidity (from lactic acid) and lack
of ATP causes the muscle to contract less
Types of Muscle Contractions

 Isotonic contractions
 Myofilaments are able to slide past each
other during contractions
 The muscle shortens
 Isometric contractions
 Tension in the muscles increases
 The muscle is unable to shorten
Muscle Tone

 Some fibers are contracted even in a

relaxed muscle
 Different fibers contract at different
times to provide muscle tone
 The process of stimulating various fibers
is under involuntary control
Effects of Exercise on Muscles

 Results of increased muscle use

 Increase in muscle size
 Increase in muscle strength
 Increase in muscle efficiency
 Muscle becomes more fatigue resistant
 Muscle
Movements,
Types, and
Names
Textbook page 192 
 Five Golden Rules of
Skeletal Muscle
Activity
1) With a few exceptions, all muscles cross at
least one joint
2) Typically, the bulk of the muscle lies
proximal to the joint crossed
3) All muscles have at least 2 attachments 
origin & insertion
4) Muscles can only pull; they never push
5) During contraction, the muscle insertion
moves toward the origin
Muscles and Body Movements

 Movement is
attained due to a
muscle moving an
attached bone
 Muscles and Body Movements

 Muscles are attached to

bone, or to other connective
tissue structures, at no less
than two points
 Origin – attachment to the
stationary bone
 Insertion – attachment to the
movable bone
 Types of Body Movements
 Flexion- Decreases the
angle of the joint and brings
2 bones closer together
(Bending the knee or elbow)
 Extension – Opposite of
flexion- increases the angle
between 2 bones
(Straightening the knee or
elbow)
 Hyperextension- Extension
>180 degrees (Tipping your
head back so your chin
points toward the ceiling)
Types of Body Movements
 Rotation- Movement of a bone around its longitudinal
axis; Common with ball and socket joints  describes
the movement with the atlas around the dens of the
axis (Shaking your head “no”)
 Abduction – Moving a limb away from the midline of
the body; Fanning movement of fingers, toes
 Adduction – Movement of a limb towards the body
midline; Opposite of abduction
 Circumduction – Combination of flexion, extension,
abduction and adduction. Proximal end of limb is
stationary, distal end moves in a circle  Limb as a
whole outlines a cone
See textbook page 195
 Left: Abduction
– moving the leg
away from the
midline

Right: Circumduction: Above : Adduction-

cone-shaped movement, moving toward the
proximal end doesn’t midline
move, while distal end
moves in a circle.
 Special Movements
 Dorsiflexion  Lifting the foot so that its
superior surface approaches the shin
 Plantar flexion  Pointing the toes

 Inversion  To invert the foot- turn the

sole medially
 Eversion  To evert the foot- turn the sole
laterally
 Special Movements
 Supination- Forearm rotates laterally so
that the palm faces anteriorly, and the radius
and ulna are parallel (Carry “soup” -->
“soup”-inating)
 Pronation- Forearm rotates medially so the
palm faces posteriorly (Face down)
 Opposition- Action by which you move your
thumb to touch the tips of the other fingers
on the same hand

(See textbook page 195)

Interactions of Skeletal Muscles
 Prime mover – muscle with the major
responsibility for a certain movement
 Antagonist – muscle that opposes or
reverses a prime mover
 When the prime mover is active; its
antagonist is stretched and relaxed
 Synergist – muscle that aids a prime
mover in a movement and helps prevent
rotation
 Naming Skeletal Muscles
 Direction of Muscle Fiber – Rectus femoris
 Relative Size- Gluteus maximus
 Location – Temporalis & frontalis muscles;
Sterno- on the sternum
 Number of Origins – Biceps, triceps,
quadriceps
 Shape – Deltoid (Triangular)
 Action – Flexor; extensor; adductor
Head and Neck Muscles
Trunk Muscles
Deep Trunk and Arm Muscles
Muscles of the Pelvis, Hip, and Thigh
Muscles of the Lower Leg
Superficial Muscles: Anterior
Superficial Muscles: Posterior
Intramuscular Injections
(vs. subcutaneous)
 Muscle Injection Site LandmarkLandmarks
Deltoid Acromion of
Scapula Acromion of Scapula

Vastus Lateralis ½ way betweenGreater

Trochanter of Femur and
Patellahalfway of between
greater trochanter
femur and patella

Gluteus Medius lIIiac Crest

Muscle Strain Websi
te
 What is a Muscle Strain?
 A muscle strain is damage caused by over-stretching
of muscle tissue. The muscle tissue becomes
overloaded and reaches a breaking point where a tear
or partial tear occurs.
 GRADE 1 STRAIN: There is damage to individual
muscle fibers (less than 5% of fibers). This is a mild
strain which requires 2 to 3 weeks rest.
 GRADE 2 STRAIN: There is more extensive damage,
with more muscle fibers involved, but the muscle is
not completely ruptured. The rest period required is
usually between 3 and 6 weeks.
 GRADE 3 STRAIN: This is a complete rupture of a
muscle. In a sports person this will usually require
surgery to repair the muscle. The rehabilitation time is
around 3 months.
 Common Injuries
Hamstring pull/strain
 tears of tendinous origins website

cause – rigorous running/quick stop-start

 Groin Pull
 Strain of distal

 abductors of iliac crest

 website
• Shin Splints
-pain in the Distal, medial 2/3 of shin
-Tendonitis of periosteum
-running on hard surfaces/
improper running shoes
website
 Patello-Femoral
Syndrome
 Knee – patello-femoral syndrome a.k.a.:
runner’s knee-lateral tracking of patella-
result from over-running website
Plantar Faciitis
- chronic irritation at origin of Calcaneus-
-“painful-heel syndrome”
website
 Treatments
 RICE

 Rest/Ice/Compression/Elevation

 Anti-inflammatory—ibuprofen (NSAIDS)

 -non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

 Steroidal drugs—cortisone/hydrocortisone
 Disorders relating
to the Muscular
System
 Muscular Dystrophy: inherited, muscle
enlarge due to increased fat and connective
tissue, but fibers degenerate and atrophy
 Duchenne MD: lacking a protein to
maintain the sarcolemma
 Myasthemia Gravis: progressive weakness
due to a shortage of acetylcholine receptors
Types of Ordinary Body
Movements website

 Abduction/Adduction (see slides)

 Circumduction (see slides)