MUSCULAR

SYSTEM

ROMEL M. DURANTE, RN, MAN ( C )

Clinical Instructor

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 Learning Outcomes
1. List the functions of the muscular system.
2. Describe a resting membrane potential and an
action potential.
3. Distinguish among skeletal, smooth, and cardiac
muscle.
4. Describe the muscles of the trunk and the actions
they produce.
5. Describe the movement of the upper and lower
extremities and list the muscle groups involved in
each movement.
6. Describe the effects of aging on skeletal muscle.
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 Muscular System
Functions
1. Movement
2. Maintain posture

3. Respiration

4. Production of body heat

5. Communication

6. Heart beat

7. Constriction of organs
and vessels

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 Types of Muscles
1. Skeletal

2. Cardiac

3. Smooth

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Abilities of Skeletal Muscles
• Contractility:
ability to shorten

• Excitability:
respond to stimulus

• Extensibility:
can stretch

• Elasticity:
recoil
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 Skeletal Muscle Characteristics
• Makes up 40% of body weight

• Named because attached to bones (skeleton)

• Many nuclei per cell (near periphery)

• Striated

• Longest of muscle types

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 Skeletal Muscle Structures-
Connective Tissue Coverings
• Epimysium:
connective tissue that
surrounds entire skeletal
muscle (outside)

• Perimysium:
connective tissue around
each muscle fasciculus

• Muscle fasciculus:
bundle of muscle fibers

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• Endomysium:
connective tissue that
surrounds each muscle
fiber

• Muscle fiber:
- skeletal muscle cells
- many nuclei

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 Skeletal Muscle Structures-
Muscle Fiber Structure
• Sarcoplasm:
cytoplasm of muscle fiber (cell)
• Myofibril:
thread-like proteins that make up muscle fibers
• Myofilament:
- proteins that make up myofibrils
- Ex. actin and myosin

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• Sarcolemma:
- cell membrane
- contains T-tubules
• T-tubules (transverse):
- wrap around sarcomeres at A band
- associated with sarcoplasmic reticulum
• Sarcoplasmic reticulum:
- type of SER
- surrounds myosin
- stores and releases Ca2+

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 Skeletal Muscle Structures-
Actin and Myosin Myofilaments
• Actin:
- thin myofilament
- resemble 2 strands of pearls
• Troponin:
attachment site on actin for
Ca2+
• Tropomyosin:
- filament on grooves of actin
- attachment site on actin for
myosin

• Myosin:
- thick myofilament
- resemble golf clubs

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 Skeletal Muscle Structures-
Sarcomeres
• Sarcomere:
- contractile unit
- contains actin and
myosin

• Z disk:
protein fibers that form
attachment site for
actin

• H zone:
- center of sarcomere
- contains only
myosin
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• I band:
contains only actin
• A band:
where actin and myosin
overlap
• M line:
where myosin are anchored

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 Resting Membrane Potential
Outside cell Inside cell
Na+ K+
+ charge – charge
Na+ channels closed Some K+ channels open

• Why is the inside of cell negative if K+ is positive?

K+ is able to diffuse out of cell freely but other
larger negative molecules cannot.

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Ion Channels and the Action Potential

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 Depolarization
❑change in charges
❑inside becomes more + and outside more –
❑Na+ channels open

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 Repolarization
❑Na+ channels close
❑change back to resting potential

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 Nerve Supply
• Motor neuron:
nerve cells that carry action potentials to muscle
fibers
• Neuromuscular junction (synapse):
where nerve cell and muscle fiber meet
• Motor unit:
group of muscle fibers that motor neuron
stimulates
• Presynaptic terminal:
end of nerve cell (axon) 21
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• Synaptic cleft:
space between presynaptic terminal and
postsynaptic membrane

• Postsynaptic membrane:
muscle fiber membrane

• Synaptic vesicle:
- in presynaptic terminal
- store and release neurotransmitters
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• Neurotransmitter:
- chemicals that stimulate or inhibit a muscle
fiber
- Ex. Acetylcholine

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 25
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 Steps in a Muscle Contraction
(Sliding Filament Theory)
1. An action potential travels down motor neuron
to presynaptic terminal causing Ca2+ channels
to open.

2. Ca2+ causes synaptic vesicles to release

acetylcholine into synaptic cleft.

3. Acetylcholine binds to receptor sites on Na+

channels, Na+ channels open, and Na+ rushes
into postsynaptic terminal (depolarization). 26
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4. Na+ causes sarcolemma and t-tubules to
increase the permeability of sarcoplasmic
reticulum which releases stored calcium.

5. Ca2+ binds to troponin which is attached to

actin.

6. Ca2+ binding to troponin causes tropomyosin to

move exposing attachment sites for myosin.

7. Myosin heads bind to actin.

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8. ATP is released from myosin heads and heads
bend toward center of sarcomere.

9. Bending forces actin to slide over myosin.

10. Acetylcholinesterase (enzyme breaks down

acetylcholine) is released, Na+ channels close,
and muscle contraction stops.

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 29
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 ATP and Muscle Contractions
• Energy for muscle contractions supplied by ATP
• Energy is released as ATP → ADP + P
• ATP is stored in myosin heads
• ATP help form cross-bridge formation between
myosin and actin
• New ATP must bind to myosin before cross-
bridge is released
• Rigor mortis:
person dies and no ATP is available to release
cross-bridges
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 Terms
• Threshold:
weakest stimulus needed to produce a response
• All or None Law:
muscle contracts or doesn’t (no in between)
• Twitch:
rapid contraction and relaxation of a muscle
• Tetanus:
muscle remains contracted
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 34
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• Isometric:
amount of tension increases (weight)

• Isotonic (Concentric/Eccentric)
amount of repetitions increases

• Tone:
constant tension over a long period of time

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 Slow and Fast Twitch Fibers
SLOW TWITCH FIBER FAST TWITCH FIBER
Contract slowly Contract quickly
Fatigue slowly Fatigue quickly
Long distance runners Sprinters
Use aerobic respiration Use anaerobic respiration
Energy from fat Energy from glycogen
Red or dark because of
myoglobin
Myoglobin: helps O2 bind in
muscle

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 Skeletal Muscle Anatomy
• Origin:
nonmovable end
• Insertion:
movable end
• Belly:
middle
• Synergists:
muscles that work together
• Antagonist:
muscles that oppose each other 37
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 Nomenclature
Muscles are named according to
• Location:
Ex. tibialis anterior

• Origin/insertion:
Ex. sternocleidomastoid

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• Size:
Ex. gluteus maximus

• Shape:
Ex. deltoid (triangular)

• Function:
Ex. masseter

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 Muscles of Head and Neck
• Occipitofrontalis:
raises eyebrows
(forehead)

• Orbicularis oculi:
allows blinking (eyes)

• Orbicularis oris:
kissing muscle (mouth)
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• Zygomaticus:
smiling muscle
(cheek)

• Masseter:
chewing
(mastication)
muscle

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 Thoracic Muscles
• External intercostals:
elevate ribs for
inspiration

• Internal intercostals:
depress ribs during
forced expiration

• Diaphragm:
moves during quiet
breathing

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 Abdominal Wall Muscles
• Rectus abdominis:
- center of abdomen
- compresses abdomen

• External abdominal
oblique:
- sides of abdomen
- compresses abdomen

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• Internal abdominal
oblique:
compresses abdomen

• Transverse
abdominis:
compresses abdomen

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 Upper Limb Muscles

• Trapezius:
- shoulders and upper back
- extends neck and head

• Pectoralis major:
- chest
- elevates ribs

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• Serratus anterior:
- between ribs
- elevates ribs

• Deltoid:
- shoulder
- abductor or upper
limbs

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• Triceps brachii:
- 3 heads
- extends elbow
• Biceps brachii:
- “flexing muscle”
- flexes elbow and
shoulder
• Brachialis:
flexes elbow

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• Latissimus dorsi:
- lower back
- extends shoulder

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 Muscles of Hips and Thighs
• Iliopsoas:
flexes hip
• Gluteus maximus:
- buttocks
- extends hip and abducts
thigh
• Gluteus medius:
- hip
- abducts and rotates thigh

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 Muscles of Upper Leg
Quadriceps femoris
4 thigh muscles
• Rectus femoris:
- front of thigh
- extends knee and flexes hip
• Vastus lateralis:
extends knee
• Vastus medialis:
extends knee
• Vastus intermedius:
extends knee

• Gracilis:
adducts thigh and flexes knee
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• Biceps femoris,
semimembranosus,
semitendinosus:
- hamstring
- back of thigh
- flexes knee, rotates
leg, extends hip

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 Muscles of Lower Leg
• Tibialis anterior:
- front of lower leg
- inverts foot
• Gastrocnemius:
- calf
- flexes foot and leg
• Soleus:
- attaches to ankle
- flexes foot

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 Effects of Aging on Skeletal Muscle
• Reduced muscle mass, increased time a muscle takes to
contract in response to nervous stimuli, reduced stamina, and
increased recovery time.
• Reduced muscle mass by age 80 approximately 50%.
• Fast-twitch muscle fibers decrease in number more rapidly
than slow-twitch fibers due to the loss of muscle fibers,
particularly fast-twitch muscle fibers.
• Less precise muscle control due to decreased number of motor
units in skeletal muscle.
• Decreased density of capillaries in skeletal muscles so that a
longer recovery period is required after exercise.

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