Essentials of Human Anatomy

Anatomy of the Muscular System

Dr Fadel Naim
Ass. Prof. Faculty of Medicine
IUG

Chapter 6
 Introduction

There are more than 600 skeletal

muscles in the body
From 40% to 50% of body weight is
skeletal muscle
Muscles, along with the skeleton,
determine the form and contour of the
body
 Functions of skeletal Muscles

Body movements
Maintaining Posture
Stabilizing Joints
Body positions
Generating heat
Unique Characteristics of Muscle Tissue 4

Excitability is equated with responsiveness.

Contractility causes the fiber to shorten
resulting in either a pull on bones or the
movement of specific body parts.
Elasticity is the muscles ability to return to its
original length when tension is released.
Extensibility is capability of extending in length
in response to the contraction of opposing
muscle fibers.
 Structure of a Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal Muscle
organ of the muscular
system
- skeletal muscle tissue
- nervous tissue
- blood
- connective tissues
fascia
tendons
aponeuroses
 Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Skeletal muscles are organs

Vary in shape and size
A skeletal muscle is composed of cells
Each cell is as long as the muscle
Small muscle: 100 micrometers long; 10
micrometers in diameter
Large muscle: 35 centimeters long; 100 micrometers
in diameter
 Skeletal Muscle Structure

Connective tissue components

Endomysiumdelicate connective tissue
membrane that covers specialized skeletal
muscle fibers
Perimysiumtough connective tissue binding
together fascicles
Epimysiumcoarse sheath covering the
muscle as a whole
These three fibrous components may become
a tendon or an aponeurosis
Skeletal Muscle Anatomy
 Muscle Fiber Structure

Multiple nuclei
Sarcolemma
T-tubules
Sarcoplasmic reticulum
Sarcoplasm
Mitochondria
Glycogen & ions
Myofibrils
Muscle Fiber Structure
 Skeletal Muscle Has Striations

Appearance is due to size and density differences

between thick filaments and thin filaments.
Under the light microscope, two differently shaded
bands are present.
The dark bands, called A bands, contain the entire thick
filament.
At either end of a thick filament is a region where thin
filaments extend into the A band between the stacked
thick filaments.
Light bands, called I bands, contain thin filaments only.
I band is lighter shaded than an A band because only
the thin filaments occupy this region.
 Sarcomere: Organization of
Fibers

Z disks
I band
A band
H zone
M line
 Neuromuscular Junction
also known as
myoneural junction
site where an axon and
muscle fiber meet
motor neuron
motor end plate
synapse
synaptic cleft
synaptic vesicles
neurotransmitters
 Motor Unit

single motor neuron

all muscle fibers controlled by motor neuron
 skeletal muscles Classification
By the way fascicles are organized
By relationships of fascicles to tendons
4 patterns of fascicle organization:
parallel
convergent
pennate
circular
 Parallel Muscles
Fibers parallel to the long axis
of muscle
e.g., biceps brachii

The center or body of the

muscle thickens when
parallel muscle contracts
Parallel muscles contract
about 30%
 Convergent Muscles
A broad area converges on attachment
site (tendon, aponeurosis, or raphe)
Muscle fibers pull in different directions,
depending on stimulation
e.g., pectoralis muscles
 Pennate Muscles
Unipennate:
fibers on 1 side of tendon e.g., extensor
digitorum
Bipennate:
fibers on both sides of tendon e.g., rectus
femoris
Multipennate:
tendon branches within muscle e.g., deltoid
 Circular Muscles
Also called sphincters
Open and close to guard entrances of body
e.g., obicularis oris
 Types of Contractions
isotonic muscle contracts and concentric shortening contraction
changes length
isometric muscle contracts but
eccentric lengthening
does not change length
contraction
 Descriptive Names or Skeletal Muscles

1. Location in the body-identifies body regions:

e.g., temporalis muscle
2. Origin and insertion-First part of name indicates origin, second part of
name indicates insertion: e.g., genioglossus muscle
3. Fascicle organization-Describes fascicle orientation within muscle: i.e.,
rectus (straight), transversus, oblique
4. Relative position-
Externus (superficialis):visible at body surface
Internus (profundus):deep muscles
Extrinsic:muscles outside an organ
Intrinsic:muscles inside an organ
5. Structural characteristics
Number of tendons: bi = 2, tri = 3
Shape: trapezius, deltoid, rhomboid
Size
6. Action
 Names for Muscle Size

Longus = long Major = larger

Longissimus = longest Maximus = largest
Teres = long and round Minor = small
Brevis = short Minimus = smallest
Magnus = large
Action
Movements:
e.g., flexor, extensor, retractor
 Muscle Atrophy

Reduction in muscle size, tone, and

power.
Due to reduced stimulation, it loses both
mass and tone.
Muscle becomes flaccid, and its fibers
decrease in size and become weaker.
Even a temporary reduction in muscle use
can lead to muscular atrophy.
 Muscle Hypertrophy

An increase in muscle fiber size.

Muscle size may be improved by exercising.
Repetitive, exhaustive stimulation of muscle
fibers results in more mitochondria, larger
glycogen reserves, and an increased ability
to produce ATP.
Ultimately, each muscle fiber develops more
myofibrils, and each myofibril contains a
larger number of myofilaments.
 Three Types of Skeletal Muscle
Fibers
Fast
are large in diameter
contain large glycogen reserves
densely packed myofibrils
relatively few mitochondria
called white fibers due to lack of myoglobin
majority of skeletal muscle fibers in the body
Intermediate
resemble fast fibers; however
have a greater resistance to fatigue
Slow
smaller and they
contract more slowly
called red fibers because due to myoglobin
 Posture

Maintaining the posture of the body is one

of the major roles muscles play
Good posturebody alignment that most
favors function and requires the least
muscular work to maintain, keeping the
bodys center of gravity over its base
 Posture

How posture is maintained

Muscles exert a continual pull on bones in the
opposite direction from gravity
Structures and systems other than muscle and
bones have a role in maintaining posture
Nervous systemresponsible for determining
muscle tone and also regulation and coordination of
the amount of pull exerted by individual muscles
Respiratory, digestive, excretory, and endocrine
systems all contribute to maintain posture
 Cycle of Life: Muscular System

Life cycle changesmanifested in other

components of functional unit
Infancy and childhoodcoordination and controlling
of muscle contraction permits sequential development
steps
Degenerative changes of advancing age result
in replacement of muscle cells with
nonfunctional connective tissue
Diminished strength
 Cycle of Life: Muscular System

Muscle cellsincrease or decrease in

number, size, and ability to shorten at
different periods
Pathological conditions at different periods
may affect the muscular system
 Axial Muscles

Have both their origins and insertions on parts of

the axial skeleton.
Support and move the head and spinal column.
Function in nonverbal communication by affecting
facial features.
Move the lower jaw during chewing.
Assist in food processing and swallowing.
Aid breathing.
Support and protect the abdominal and pelvic
organs.
Are not responsible for stabilizing or moving the
pectoral or pelvic girdles or their attached limbs.
 Appendicular Muscles

Control the movements of the upper and lower

limbs.
Stabilize and control the movements of the
pectoral and pelvic girdles.
Organized into groups based on their location
in the body or the part of the skeleton they
move.
Work in groups that are either synergistic or
antagonistic.
 Appendicular Muscles

Organized into specific groups.

muscles that move the pectoral girdle
muscles that move the glenohumeral joint/arm
arm and forearm muscles that move the elbow
joint/forearm
forearm muscles that move the wrist joint, hand, and
fingers
intrinsic muscles of the hand
 Intramuscular Injections

The gluteus maximus is a large, thick

muscle with coarse Fasciculi that can be
easily separated without damage.
The great thickness of this muscle makes
it ideal for intramuscular Injections.
To avoid injury to the underlying Sciatic
nerve, the injection should be given well
forward On the upper outer quadrant of
the buttock.
MOVEMENTFLEXSION
MOVEMENTEXTENSION
MOVEMENTEXTENSION
 MOVEMENT
HYPEREXTENSION
MOVEMENTDORSIFLEXION
PLANTAR FLEXION
 MOVEMENTABDUCTION
ADDUCTION, CIRCUMDUCTION
MOVEMENT--ROTATION
MOVEMENTSUPINATION
PRONATION
MOVEMENTINVERSION
EVERSION
MOVEMENTPROTRACTION
RETRACTION
THE END