Structure and Functions of Muscle Tissues – PST04103 Human Anatomy and Physiology

NTA Level 4 • Semester 1 • PST04103

Structure and Functions of Muscle Tissues

Human Anatomy and Physiology • Source Session/Topic 8
Full source-text version: all educational wording from the extracted learning source is retained; only presenter/tutor metadata and web-layout noise are removed, while formatting is improved for readability.

Session 8: Structure and Functions of Muscle Tissues

Prerequisites

None

Total Session Time: 60 minutes

Learning Tasks

By the end of this session, students are expected to be able to:

• Define Muscle and Cell Tissues
• Mention types of Muscle Tissues
• Describe Structure of Muscle Tissues
• Describe Functions of Muscle Tissues

Resources Needed:

• Flip charts, marker pens, and masking tape
• Black/white board, chalk and whiteboard markers
• Overhead Projector, Transparencies, Anatomy Atlas and Models, LCD and

Computer

• figure 8.1: The Muscle Fibres
• figure8.2:

o 8.2 a Skeletal,

o 8.2 b Cardiac,

o 8.2 c Smooth Muscle

• Figure 8.3: The Neuron

SESSION OVERVIEW

|Step |Time |Activity/ | |

| | |Method |Content |

|1 |05 minutes |Presentation |Introduction, Learning Tasks |

|2 |05 minutes |Presentation |Definition of Muscle and cell |

| | |Brainstorming |Tissues |

|3 | |Presentation |Types of Muscle Tissues |

| |10minutes | | |

|4 |10 minutes|Presentation |Structure of Muscle Tissues |

|5 |20 minutes |Presentation |Function of Muscle Tissues |

|6 |05 minutes |Presentation |Key Points |

| 7 |05 minutes |Presentation |Evaluation |

SESSION CONTENTS

STEP 1: Presentation of Session Title and Learning Tasks (5 minutes)

READ or ASK students to read the learning tasks and clarify

ASK students if they have any questions before continuing

STEP 2: Definition of Muscle and cell Tissues (5 minutes)

|Activity: Brainstorming (5 minutes) |

| |

|Ask students to brainstorm on the following question: |

| |

|What is a muscle tissue? |

|What is a muscle cell? |

|ALLOW few students to respond and let other pairs to add on points not |

|mentioned |

| |

|WRITE their responses on the flip chart/ board |

| |

|CLARIFY and SUMMARISE by using the content below |

Muscle tissue: specialized to contracts when it is stimulated and thus to

exert a physical force on other tissue.

o When a skeletal muscle contracts pulls on a bone and enhance movement,

the heart muscle contracts and expel blood.

o Other processes like digestion, waste elimination, breathing speech and

blood circulation depends on muscular tissue.

o The muscles are also an important source of body heat

o As any other tissue,

o muscular tissue is made up of cells

Muscle Cells

• Referred to as myocytes or muscle fibres

o Muscle cells are usually grouped into bundle

o Muscle cells are usually elongated and spindle-shaped

o They function by shortening their length, approximating the two

opposite points, which are attached to connective tissue structures

such as septa, trabeculae, fasciae, tendons, periosteum or bone

o The shortening of the muscle cell is called contraction

o The structural unit of a muscle is a muscle fibre

o The muscle fibres are made up of fibrils are divisible into individual

filaments

o The contractile property of muscle cells is determined by the presence

of the filamentous contractile proteins, actin and myosin

STEP 3: Types of Muscle Tissues (10 minutes)

Types of Muscle Tissues

• There are three types of muscle tissues which can be distinguished basing

on both structure and functions,

o Skeletal muscle tissues (striated voluntary muscle)

o Cardiac muscle tissues (striated involuntary muscle)

o Smooth muscle tissues (smooth involuntary muscle)

Figure 8.1: Muscle Fibres

[pic]

STEP4: Structure of Muscle Tissues (10 minutes)

Cardiac Muscle Tissue

• This is a unique tissue found only in the walls of the heart.
• Cardiac (Heart) Muscle Tissue shows some of the characteristics of smooth

muscle and some of skeletal muscle tissue.

• Its fibres, like those of skeletal muscle, have cross-striations and

contain numerous nuclei.

• However, like smooth muscle tissue, it is involuntary.
• Cardiac muscle forms the muscular wall of the heart the myocardium.
• Some cardiac muscle is also present in the walls of the aorta, pulmonary

vein, and

Superior vena cava cardiac muscle contractions are not under

voluntary control.

• Heart rate is regulated intrinsically by a pacemaker, composed of special

cardiac muscle fibres that are influenced by the autonomic nervous

system.

Figure 8.2 a. Cardiac muscle

[pic]

Source: Moore, K. L., &Agur, A. M. R. (2007)

Smooth Muscle Tissue

• This type is also called non-striated or involuntary muscle.
• Each cell has many myofibrils which lie parallel to one another in the

direction of the long axis of the cell.

• They are not arranged in a definite striped (striated) pattern, as in

skeletal muscles, hence

• This muscle is mainly visceral in distribution, forming the contractile

portion of the wall of the digestive tract from the mid-oesophagus

to anus, including the ducts of glands associated with the system.

• It is found in the respiratory, urinary and genital system; in arteries,

veins and larger lymphatics, in the dermis and in the iris and

ciliary body of the eye.

• In these locations, it functions in moderating and maintaining lumen

diameter of the hollow viscera.

• Smooth muscle is composed of long spindle-like cells, which in cross-

section appear as narrow circular profiles.

• Each cell possesses a characteristic centrally located elongated nucleus.
• In contracted cells, these nuclei are frequently folded or pleated.
• At the poles of the nucleus lie numerous mitochondria, well-developed

rough endoplasmic reticulum, and a large golgi apparatus.

Figure 8.2 b. Smooth muscle

[pic]

Source: Moore, K. L., &Agur, A. M. R. (2007)

Skeletal Muscle Tissue

• This type is described as skeletal because it forms those muscles that

form movement of the skeleton; it is also known as striated or voluntary

muscles.

• Striated because striations can be seen on microscopic examination, and

voluntary as it is under conscious control.

• It consists of bundles of very long cylindrical, multinucleated cells

called muscle fibres.

• The oval nuclei are usually found at the periphery of the cell under the

cell membrane.

• This characteristic nuclear location is helpful in distinguishing

skeletal muscle from cardiac muscle, which has centrally located

nuclei.

• Connective tissue covering individual muscle fibres is called endomysium,

a group of fibres (fibre bundles) is invested by perimysium, and the

entire muscle is surrounded by epimysium.

• The functional unit of a muscle, consisting of a motor neuron and the

muscle fibres it controls, is a motor unit.

• When a motor neuron in the spinal cord is stimulated, it initiates an

impulse that causes

all the muscle fibres supplied by that motor unit to contract

simultaneously.

• The sarcoplasm also has many alternating light and dark bands, giving the

fibre a stripedor striated appearance (hence the name striated muscle).

• The contraction of skeletal muscle tissue is very quick and forceful.
• The initiation and execution of muscle contraction occur in the following

sequential steps.

o An action potential travels along a motor nerve to its endings on muscle

fibres.

o At each ending, the nerve secretes a small amount of the neurotransmitter

substance acetylcholine.

o The acetylcholine acts on a local area of the muscle fibre membrane to

open multiple

"acetylcholine-gated" channels through protein molecules

floating in the membrane.

o Opening of the acetylcholine-gated channels allows large quantities of

sodium ions to diffuse to the interior of the muscle fibre membrane.

o This initiates an action potential at the membrane.

o The action potential depolarizes the muscle membrane, and much of the

action potential electricity flows through the centre of the

muscle fibre.

o Here it causes the sarcoplasmic reticulum to release large quantities of

calcium ions that have been stored within this reticulum.

o The calcium ions initiate attractive forces between the actin and myosin

filaments, causing them to slide alongside each other, which is

the contractile process.

o After a fraction of a second, the calcium ions are pumped back into the

sarcoplasmic reticulum by a Ca++ membrane pump, and they remain stored in

the reticulum until a new muscle action potential comes along;

this removal of calcium ions from the myofibrils causes the

muscle contraction to cease.

Figure 8.2 c, Skeletal Muscle

[pic]

Source: Moore, K. L., &Agur, A. M. R. (2007)

STEP 5: Function of Muscle Tissues (20 minutes)

|Activity: Buzzing (5 minutes) |

| |

|ASK students to pair up and buzz on the following question for 2 |

|minutes |

| |

|What are the functions of skeletal muscle tissue? |

| |

|ALLOW few pairs to respond and let other pairs to add on points not |

|mentioned |

| |

|WRITE their response on the flip chart/board |

| |

|CLARIFY and SUMMARIZE by using the content below |

Muscles serve specific functions in moving and positioning the body.

• The same muscle may act as a prime mover, antagonist, synergist, or

fixator under specific conditions.

• The functions include.

o A prime mover or agonist is the main muscle responsible for producing a

specific movement of the body (e.g. concentric contraction).

o Fixators steady the proximal parts of a limb while movements are

occurring in distal parts.

o A synergist complements the action of prime mover for example, by

preventing movement of the intervening joint when a prime

mover passes over more than one joint.

o An antagonist is a muscle that opposes the action of a prime mover.

o As a prime mover contracts, the antagonist progressively relax, producing

a smooth movement.

STEP 6: Key Points (5 minutes)

• Muscular tissue consists of cells called muscle fibers that are

specialized for contraction. It provides motion, maintenance of posture,

heat production, and protection.

• Structurally the muscle tissue is divided into skeletal, smooth and

cardiac muscle tissue.

• Smooth muscle tissue is found in the walls of hollow internal structures

(blood vessels and viscera) and is non striated and involuntary

STEP 7: Evaluation (5 minutes)

• Define muscle tissues
• What are the structure of muscle tissues
• What are the functions of muscle tissues

References

Seeley, R. R., Stephens, T. D., &Tate, P. (2003). Anatomy and Physiology.

(5thed.).Boston:

McGraw-Hill.

Standring, S. (2008). Grays’s Anatomy; the anatomical basis of clinical

practice.(40th ed.).

Elservier: Churchill Livingstone.

Thibodeau, G. A., & Patton, K. T. (1999). Anatomy & Physiology. Mosby:

Hoffman

Press, Inc.

Tortora, G.J &Derrickson, B (2009). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology

12th Edition,

USA, John Wiley & Sons Inc, USA

Waugh, A., & Grant, A. (2006). Ross and Willson Anatomy and physiology in

Health and

illness. China: Churchill Livingstone Elservier.

| | |

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