A&P 1 Muscle Function

There three types of muscles in the human body: skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. Skeletal muscles are attached to the skeleton bones, and provide movement of the body. Smooth muscle is found in our internal organs such as the digestive system, respiratory system, blood vessels, and bladder. Cardiac muscle is found only in the heart, and is responsible for the heart beating or pumping action.

There are about 600 skeletal muscles in the human body. They provide strength, balance, posture, and movement for the body. They also provide heat to keep the body warm. Skeletal muscles are attached to bone by tendons. When muscle's contract, they pull on tendons, that in turn pull on the bone.

Without muscles and joints we wouldn't be able to do much, if anything. Face muscles help us eat, smile and laugh. Hand muscles, arm muscles and shoulder muscles, along with the elbow joint, help use throw a ball. Hip muscles, leg muscles and foot muscles, along with the knee joint and ankle joint, help us to walk. Our thoracic muscles help us breathe. Our back muscles, abdominal muscles and vertebral muscles help us maintain good posture and stand upright.

Muscles are controlled by our brain and central nervous system through the peripheral nervous system. We aren't born with the ability to walk or run, we must learn muscle control through motor development. To maintain proper muscle function requires proper and regular muscle exercise.

Muscles are made of muscle fiber. Contraction of the muscle fiber causes contraction of the muscle.

References:

Structure and Function of the Body 13th Edition- Thibodeau,G and Patton, K (2008)

Muscular System Overview- www.nakedscience.org- Microsoft PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation