Department of Natural Sciences

College of Science and Engineering

ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

PHYL312
Lab Activity No. ____
THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM

Name: _________________________________________ Section: _________ Score: ______

Overview

Because flexing muscles look like mice scurrying beneath the skin, some scientist long ago
dubbed them muscles, from the Latin word mus meaning “little mouse.” Indeed, the ripping
muscles of professional boxers or weight lifters are often the first thing that comes to mind
when one hears the word muscle. But muscle is also the dominant tissue in the heart and in the
walls of other hollow organs of the body. In all its forms, it makes up nearly half the body’s
mass.

The essential function of muscle is contraction or shortening – a unique characteristic that sets
it apart from any other body tissue. As a result of this ability, muscles are responsible for
essentially all body movement and can be viewed as the “machines” of the body.

Objectives:

At the end of the activity, students should be able to:

1. Describe similarities and differences in the structure and function of the three types of
muscle tissue, and indicate where they are found in the body.
2. Define and explain the role of the following: endomysium, perimysium, epimysium,
tendon, and aponeurosis.
3. Describe and explain the microscopic structure of skeletal muscle, and explain the role
of actin- and myosin-containing myofilaments.
4. Name and locate the major muscle of the human body and state the action of each.

Skeletal muscle fibers are packaged in the organs called skeletal muscles that attach to the
body’s skeleton. As the skeletal muscles cover our bony “underpinnings,” they help form the
much smoother contours of the body. Skeletal muscle fibers are huge, cigar-shaped,
multinucleate cells. They are the largest of the muscle fiber types – some ranging up to 30 cm
(nearly 1 foot) in length. Indeed, the fibers of large, hardworking muscles, such as the
antigravity muscles of the hip, are so big and coarse that they can be seen with the naked eye.

Each muscle fiber is enclosed in a delicate connective tissue sheath called an endomysium.
Several sheathed muscle fibers are then wrapped by a coarse fibrous membrane called
perimysium to form a bundle of fibers called fascicle. Many fascicles are bound together by an
even tougher “overcoat” of connective tissue called epimysium, which covers the entire muscle.
 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

The epimysia blend either into the strong, cordlike tendons or into sheetlike aponeuroses,
which attach muscles indirectly to bones cartilages, or connective tissue coverings.

Connective Tissue Wrappings of Skeletal Muscle

There are three types if muscle tissue – skeletal, cardiac and smooth. These differ in their cell
structure, body location, and how they are stimulated to contract. But before we explore their
differences let’s look at some of the ways they are the same.

First, skeletal and smooth muscle cells are elongated. For this reason, these types of muscle
cells (but not cardiac muscle cells) are called muscle fibers. Second, the ability of muscle to
shorten, or contract, depends on two types myofilaments, the muscle cell equivalents of the
microfilaments of the cytoskeleton. A third similarity has to do with terminology. Whenever
you see the prefixes myo- and mys- (“muscle”) and sarco- (“flesh”), you will know that muscle is
being referred to.
 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Comparison of Skeletal, Cardiac, and Smooth Muscles

 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle Fiber (cell)

 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Like bones, muscles come in many shapes and sizes to suit their particular tasks I the body.
Muscles are names on the basis of several criteria, each of which focuses on a particular
structure or functional characteristic. Paying close attention to these cues can greatly simplify
your task of learning muscle names and actions:

● Direction of the muscle fibers. Some muscles are named in reference to some
imaginary line, usually the midline of the body or the long axis of a limb bone. When a
muscle’s name includes the term rectus (straight), its fibers run parallel to that imaginary
line.
 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

● Relative size of the muscle. Such terms as maximus (largest), minimus (smallest), and
longus (long) are often used in the names of muscles.

● Location of the muscle. Some muscles are named for the bone with which they are
associated.

● Number of origins. When the term biceps, triceps, or quadriceps forms part of a muscle
name, one can assume that the muscle has two, three, or four origins, respectively.

● Location of the muscle’s origin and insertion. Occasionally, muscles are named for their
attachment sites.

● Shape of the muscle. Some muscles have a distinctive shape that helps to identify
them.

● Action of the muscle. When muscles are named for their actions, terms such as flexor,
extensor, and adductor appear in their names.

Major Superficial Muscles of the Anterior Surface of the Body

Major Superficial Muscles of the Posterior Surface of the Body

 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Activity:
Connective Tissue Wrappings of Skeletal Muscle
 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Comparison of Skeletal, Cardiac, and Smooth Muscles

Characteristics Skeletal Cardiac Smooth

 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Body location

Cell shape and

appearance

Connective tissue
components

Regulation of
contraction

Speed of
contraction

Rhythmic
contraction

Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle Fiber (cell)

 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Major Superficial Muscles of the Anterior Surface of the Body

 Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400

Major Superficial Muscles of the Posterior Surface of the Body

Department of Natural Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY
Ateneo Avenue, Naga City 4400