Muscular System ■ Causes skeletal muscle to contract

■ muscles release the enzyme

□ The human body has more than 640 acetylcholinesterase which allows muscle
individual muscles to relax
□ Muscles cause bones and supported □ Multiunit smooth muscle
■ Responds to neurotransmitters and
structures to move by alternating between
hormones
contraction and relaxation
■ In the iris of the eye and walls of blood
vessels
□ Functions of Muscular System ■ each smooth-muscle cell receives its own
■ Movement synaptic input, allowing for the multi-unit
■ Stability smooth muscle to have much finer control.
■ Control of body openings and □ Visceral smooth muscle
passages ■ In walls of hollow organs
■ Heat production ■ Responds to neurotransmitters AND
■ Stimulate each other to contract so that
Types of Muscle muscle fibers contract and relax together in
a rhythmic motion – peristalsis

□ Peristalsis – rhythmic contraction that pushes

substances through tubes of the body

■ Acetylcholine – neurotransmitter
responsible for muscle contraction
- slows heart rate

■ Norepinephrine - cause or inhibit

contractions, depending on smooth muscle
type
- speeds up heart rate

■ ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

■ A type of chemical energy
■ Needed for sustained or
repeated muscle contractions

■ Oxygen Debt - Develops when skeletal

muscles are used strenuously for several
minutes and cells are low in oxygen
■ Muscle Fatigue - Condition in which a
muscle has lost its ability to contract
Smooth Muscle – found on organ walls
Skeletal Muscle – attached to bones by tendons
Cardiac Muscle – can be found on the heart alone Connective Tissue Covering
□ Fascia
■ Covers entire skeletal
Sphincters
muscles
■ Valve-like structures formed by muscles
■ Separates them from
■ Control movement of substances in and out
each other
of passages
□ Tendon
■ A tough, cord-like structure made of fibrous
Muscle Cells
connective tissue
■ Myocytes called muscle fiber
■ Connects muscles to bones
■ individual cells that make up muscle tissue.
They are often referred to as muscle fibers □ Aponeurosis
due to their elongated shape. ■ A tough, sheet-like structure made of
■ Sarcolemma – The sarcolemma is the cell fibrous connective tissue
membrane surrounding each muscle fiber. ■ Attaches muscles to other muscles
■ Sarcoplasm – Sarcoplasm is the cytoplasm
of a muscle fiber. □ Epimysium
■ Myofibrils – are long, thread-like structures ■ A thin covering that is just below the fascia
within the sarcoplasm that are the of a muscle and surrounds the entire muscle
contractile elements of muscle fibers. □ Perimysium
□ Arrangement of filaments in ■ Connective tissue that divides a muscle into
myofibrils produces striations. sections called fascicles
caused by Actin and Myosin □ Endomysium
■ Covering of connective tissue that
□ Acetylcholine surrounds individual muscle cells
■ Neurotransmitter responsible for
contraction of Skeletal muscle
 Common Muscle injury:
Muscle Strains and Sprains

□ Strains – injuries due to over-stretched muscles or

tendons
□ Sprains – more serious injuries that result in tears
to tendons, ligaments, and/or cartilage of joints

Treatments

□ Medications. For mild sprains and strains, your

doctor likely will recommend basic self-care
measures and an over-the-counter pain reliever such
Attachments and Actions of Skeletal Muscles as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or
□ Actions depend largely on what the muscles are acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
attached to □ Therapy. In cases of a mild or moderate sprain or
□ Attachment sites strain, apply ice to the area as soon as possible to
■ Origin – an attachment site for a less minimize swelling. In cases of severe sprain or
movable bone strain, your doctor may immobilize the area with a
■ Insertion – an attachment site for a more brace or splint.
moveable bone □ Surgery. If you have a torn ligament or ruptured
muscle, surgery may be an option.
□ Movement usually produced by a group of
muscles
■ Prime mover – muscle responsible for most Disorder of the Muscular System
of the movement
■ Synergists – muscles that help the prime
mover by stabilizing joints
■ Antagonist (agonist) – produces movement
opposite to prime mover
□ Relaxes when prime mover
contracts

Body Movements

Flexion – bending a body part

Extension – straightening a body part
Hyperextension – extending a body part past the normal
anatomical position Myositis is inflammation of your muscles, which are also
Dorsiflexion – pointing the toes up called the voluntary muscles. These are the muscles you
Plantar flexion – pointing the toes down consciously control that help you move your body.
Abduction – moving a body part away from the anatomical
position Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by
Adduction – moving a body part toward the anatomical long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints,
position muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Fibromyalgia has
Circumduction – moving a body part in a circle also been linked to fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep
Pronation – turning the palm of the hand down problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet,
Supination – turning the palm of the hand up depression, and anxiety
Inversion – turning the sole of the foot medially
Eversion – turning the sole of the foot laterally The cause of this disorder is unknown.
Retraction – moving a body part posteriorly • Physical or emotional trauma
Protraction – moving a body part anteriorly • Abnormal pain transmission responses.
Elevation – lifting a body part; for example, elevating the • Sleep disturbances
shoulders as in a shrugging expression • May be associated with changes in skeletal muscle
Depression – lowering a body part; for example, lowering metabolism, possibly caused by decreased blood
the shoulders flow, which could cause chronic fatigue and
weakness.
• An infectious microbe, such as a virus, triggers the
illness.
• A possible inherited tendency toward the disease
• Men and women of all ages get fibromyalgia, but
the disorder is most common among women aged
20 to 50.
Treatment • Muscle weakness, including:
– Swallowing difficulty, frequent gagging, or
• In mild cases, symptoms may go away when stress choking
is decreased or lifestyle changes are implemented. – Paralysis
• Physical therapy and counseling are usually – Muscles that function best after rest
recommended. – Drooping head
• Pregabalin (Lyrica) , Duloxetine (Cymbalta) – Difficulty climbing stairs
• Anti-inflammatory pain medications and – Difficulty lifting objects
medications that work on pain transmission – Need to use hands to rise from sitting
pathways. positions
• Eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding caffeine – Difficulty talking
may help with problems sleeping, and may help – Difficulty chewing
reduce the severity of the symptoms. Lifestyle
measures to improve the quality of sleep can be • Vision problems:
effective for fibromyalgia. – Double vision
• Some reports indicate that fish oil, – Difficulty maintaining steady gaze
magnesium/malic acid combinations, or vitamins – Eyelid drooping
may be effective. • Additional symptoms that may be associated with
• Reducing stress and improving coping skills may this disease:
also help reduce painful symptoms. • Hoarseness or changing voice
• Fatigue
• Facial paralysis
Muscular dystrophy is a group of disorders that involve • Drooling
muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue that get worse • Breathing difficulty
over time
• There is no known cure for myasthenia gravis.
Treatment However, treatment may result in prolonged periods
of remission.
• There are no known cures for the various muscular
dystrophies. The goal of treatment is to control • Lifestyle adjustments may enable continuation of
symptoms. many activities. Activity should be planned to allow
scheduled rest periods. An eye patch may be
• Physical therapy may help patients maintain muscle recommended if double vision is bothersome. Stress
strength and function. Orthopedic appliances such and excessive heat exposure should be avoided
as braces and wheelchairs can improve mobility and because they can worsen symptoms.
self-care abilities. In some cases, surgery on the
spine or legs may help improve function. • Some medications, such as neostigmine or
• Corticosteroids taken by mouth are sometimes pyridostigmine, improve the communication
prescribed to children to keep them walking for as between the nerve and the muscle. Prednisone and
along as possible (Reduce inflammation). other medications that suppress the immune
• The person should be as active as possible. response (such as azathioprine, cyclosporine, or
Complete inactivity (such as bedrest) can make the mycophenolate mofetil) may be used if symptoms
disease worse. are severe and there is inadequate response to other
medications.

• Plasmapheresis, a technique in which blood plasma

Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder
containing antibodies against the body is removed
characterized by variable weakness of voluntary muscles,
from the body and replaced with fluids (donated
which often improves with rest and worsens with activity.
antibody-free plasma or other intravenous fluids),
The condition is caused by an abnormal immune response
may reduce symptoms for up to 4 - 6 weeks and is
• In myasthenia gravis, weakness occurs when the
often used to optimize conditions before surgery.
nerve impulse to initiate or sustain movement does
not adequately reach the muscle cells. This is
caused when immune cells target and attack the
body's own cells (an autoimmune response). This
immune response produces antibodies that attach to
affected areas, preventing muscle cells from
receiving chemical messages (neurotransmitters)
from the nerve cell.

• The cause of autoimmune disorders such as

myasthenia gravis is unknown. In some cases,
myasthenia gravis may be associated with tumors of
the thymus (an organ of the immune system).
Patients with myasthenia gravis have a higher risk
of having other autoimmune disorders like
thyrotoxicosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic
lupus erythematosus.