Section 1, Chapter 9

Muscular System
Muscle is derived from Musculus, for Mouse
Functions of Muscles:
1. Body movement
2. Maintain posture
3. Produces heat
4. Propel substances
through body
5. Heartbeat
Types of muscles include:
1. Smooth muscle
2. Cardiac muscle
3. Skeletal muscle
Imagine a mouse running beneath the skin.
Characteristics of smooth muscles
Involuntary control
Tapered cells with a single, central nucleus
Lack striations
Smooth Muscle
Visceral (single-unit) Smooth Muscle
Form sheets of muscle
Cells are connected by gap junctions
Muscle fibers contract as a group
Rhythmic contractions
Within walls of most hollow organs
(viscera)
Multi-unit Smooth Muscle
unorganized cells that contract
as individual cells

Located within the iris of eye
and the walls of blood vessels

There are two types of smooth muscles
Smooth Muscle
Cardiac Muscle
Located only in the heart

Striated cells

Intercalated discs

Muscle fibers branch

Muscle fibers contract
as a unit

Self-exciting and rhythmic
Usually attached to bone

Voluntary control

Striated (light & dark bands)

Muscle fibers form bundles

Several peripheral nuclei
Skeletal Muscle
Coverings of Skeletal Muscle
Fascia
Dense connective tissue surrounding skeletal muscles

Tendons
Dense connective tissue that attaches muscle to bones
Continuation of muscle fascia and bone periosteum

Aponeurosis
Broad sheet of connective tissue attaching muscles to
bone, or to other muscles.
Coverings of Skeletal Muscle
Epimysium
Connective tissue that covers the
entire muscle

Lies deep to fascia

Perimysium
Surrounds organized bundles of
muscle fibers, called fascicles

Endomysium
Connective tissue that covers
individual muscle fibers (cells)

Figure 9.3 Scanning electron micrograph of a fascicle
surrounded by its perimysium. Muscle fibers within the
fascicle are surrounded by endomysium.
Organization of Skeletal Muscle
Figure 9.2
Skeletal muscle
organization
Fascicle
Organized bundle of muscle fibers

Muscle Fiber
Single muscle cell
Collection of myofibrils

Myofibrils
Collection of myofilaments

Myofilaments
Actin filament
Myosin filament
Sarcolemma
Cell membrane of muscle fibers

Sarcoplasm
Cytoplasm of muscle fibers

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
Modified Endoplasmic Reticulum
Stores large deposits of Calcium
Skeletal Muscle Fibers
sarcolemma
Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Openings into t-tubules
(Transverse)T-tubules:
invaginations of sarcolemma,
extending into the sarcoplasm.

Cisternae:
enlarged region of sarcoplasmic
reticulum, adjacent to the t-tubules

Triad
T-tubule + adjacent cisternae
Myofibrils
Figure 9.4 Organization of actin and myosin filaments
Myofibrils are bundles of
actin and myosin filaments.

Actin thin filament
Myosin thick filament

Striations appear from the
organization of actin and
myosin filaments
Sarcomere
A sarcomere is the functional unit of
skeletal muscle

A sarcomere is the area between
adjacent Z-lines.

During a muscle contraction the z-lines
move together and the sarcomere shortens.

Sarcomere
Figure 9.5 thin and thick filaments in a
sarcomere.
Z Line is the attachment site of actin
filaments (center of I bands)
Striations appear from alternate light and dark
banding patterns.

I Bands (light band): consists of only
actin filaments


A Bands (dark band) : consists of
myosin filaments and the overlapping
portion of actin filaments
Thick filaments
composed of myosin proteins

During muscle contraction the
heads on myosin filaments
bind to actin filaments forming
a Cross-bridge
Thin filaments
composed of actin proteins

Thin filaments are
associated with troponin
and tropomyosin proteins
filaments
Cross-Bridges
When a muscle is at rest, myosin heads are extended in the cocked position.

During a contraction, myosin heads bind to actin, forming a cross-bridge and the
myosin head pivot forward (Power Stroke) and back (Recovery stroke)
Tropomyosin
Blocks binding sites on
actin when a muscle is
at rest
Troponin
Ca
2+
binds to troponin
during a muscle contraction.

Troponin moves repositions the
tropomyosin filaments, so the
myosin and actin filaments can
interact.
Troponin-Tropomyosin Complex
The troponin-tropomyosin complex prevents cross-bridge
formation when the muscle is at rest.