Functions of the Muscular System 1. Body Movement.

Contraction of skeletal muscles is responsible for the overall movements of the body, such as walking, running, or manipulating objects with the hands. 2. Maintenance of posture. Skeletal muscles constantly maintain tone, which keeps us sitting or standing erect. 3. Respiration. Muscles of the thorax are responsible for the movements necessary for respiration. 4. Production of body heat. When skeletal muscles contract, heat is given off as a by-product. This released heat is critical to the maintenance of body temperature. 5. Communication. Skeletal muscles are involved in all aspects of communication, such as speaking, writing, typing, gesturing, and facial expression. 6. Constriction of organs and vessels. The contraction of smooth muscle within the walls of internal organs and vessels causes constriction of those structures. This constriction can help propel and mix food and water in the digestive track, propel secretions from organs, and regulate blood flow through vessels. 7. Heart beat. The contraction of cardiac muscles causes the heart to beat, propelling blood to all parts of the body. Structure of Muscle Structure of muscle and its associated tissues is an important topic in courses about human biology, human anatomy and physiology, nursing, and many other health science subjects. Skeletal muscles consist of 100,000s of muscle cells that are also known as "muscle fibres". These cells act together to perform the functions of the specific muscle of which they are a part. This is possible due to the integration of the muscle with the other tissues and structures of other associated body systems - especially the bones (skeletal system) or, in the cases of facial muscles, the skin (integumentary system), and also the nerves (nervous system).

A general example of the structure of muscle and associated tissues is shown below.

Diagram of the Structure of Muscle Tendons attach muscle to bone. They are tough pale colored (whitish) cords formed from many parallel bundles of collagen fibers. Tendons are flexible (they bend around other tissues, changing position as they move), yet inelastic. Perimysium is a fibrous sheath that surrounds and protects bundles of muscle fibres. (It is shown as thin pale grey lines in the cross-section of skeletal muscle illustrated above.) Epimysium is fibrous elastic tissue that surrounds muscle. Fascicle The term fascicle (sometimes expressed as a "fasciculus"), refers to a "bundle", such as a bundle of muscle fibres e.g. as illustrated above, or alternatively a bundle of nerve fibres.

Endomysium is the name of the fine connective tissue sheath that surrounds/covers each single/individual muscle fibre. Muscle fibres also known as "muscle fibers", and "muscle cells" are special cells that are able to contract, thereby causing movement - of other tissues/parts of the body. There are three types of muscle: striated/skeletal muscle (causing the movement of bones/limbs), smooth muscle (surrounding organs and blood vessels), and cardiac muscle (forming the walls of the heart).