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THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM

Every movement we make, and a few we don't realize we make, depend on the use of muscles.

Movements as simple as opening your eyes, as complex as running the high hurtles, as automatic as digesting food, or as necessary as your beating heart are all a result of a complex series of impulses from the central nervous system to the peripheral nervous system and finally to the muscles themselves, which contract or tighten.

Each of the four underlined actions listed above requires every type of human muscle to contract.

See list and description below and buttons for pictures of each type of muscle.

• opening your eyes- - - - requires striated muscle
• running high hurtles - - requires stronger, more complex striated muscle

  

• digesting food - - - - - - requires smooth muscle

  

• your beating heart - - - requires the one, the only the cardiac muscle

  

Types of Muscles

• Striated muscle is body tissue, making up almost 60% of the body weight. This is the muscle which gets stronger when you lift weights.
• Smooth muscle is most of your internal organs. Such as the organs in the digestive system, including the stomach, large intestines and small intestines.
• The one, the only the cardiac muscle is the heart. The heart is strong enough to pump blood to your entire body, 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - 52 weeks a year - for all the many years of your life.

Mollie Drew, University of West Florida, April 26, 1996.

Modificado em: 18-01-1999