Body Map: Smooth or Visceral Muscle
Body Map: Smooth or Visceral Muscle
Body Map: Smooth or Visceral Muscle
Bone
Cartilage
Joint
Introduction
All physical function of the body involves muscular activity, and as muscles are responsible
for all body movement they can be considered the ‘machines’ of the body (Marieb, 2013).
This chapter will discuss the structure and function of the muscular system.
Types of muscle tissue
The body contains three types of muscle tissue: smooth, cardiac and skeletal. Table 6.1
provides a summary of the different types of muscle tissue.
Smooth or visceral muscle
Smooth or visceral muscle is located in the walls of hollow internal organs and blood vessels
of the body; for example, the small intestine, blood vessels (arteries, arterioles, venules and
veins), bronchioles of the respiratory tract, urinary bladder and ureters, uterus and Fallopian
tubes, but not the heart. Smooth muscle fibres have a single nucleus, are usually arranged in
parallel lines and are not striated. Smooth muscles are involuntary, do not fatigue easily and
are controlled by the medulla oblongata in the brain, which is responsible for controlling
involuntary action throughout the body. Smooth muscle is discussed in more detail in Chapter
9.
Cardiac
Cardiac muscle, found only in the heart, is also a form of involuntary muscle and forms the
walls of the heart. Its main function is to propel blood into the circulation by making the right
atrium contract. Cardiac muscles also have a single nucleus, are striated, branched and
tubular. Cardiac muscle is discussed in more detail in Chapter 8.
Skeletal
The skeletal muscles make up the muscular system of the body (composed of over 600
muscles) and account for 40–50% of the body weight in an adult. The skeletal muscles are
the only voluntary muscles of the body (i.e. are consciously controlled) and are the muscles
involved in moving bones and generating external movement. Skeletal muscle is also referred
to as striped or striated muscle because of the banded patterns of the cells seen under the
microscope. The rest of this chapter will focus on skeletal muscle only as both smooth and
cardiac muscle are discussed in more detail elsewhere.
Functions of the muscular system
The muscular system plays four important roles in the body:
•• maintains posture
•• produces movement
•• stabilises joints
•• protection
•• generates heat.
Maintenance of body posture
Despite the continuous downward pull of gravity, the body is able to maintain an erect or
seated posture because of the continuous tiny adjustments that the skeletal muscles make.
Production of movement
The body’s ability to mobilise is a result of skeletal muscle activity and muscle contraction,
as when muscles contract they pull on the tendons and bones of the skeleton to produce
movement.
Stabilisation of joints
Muscle tendons play a vital role in stabilising and reinforcing the joints of the body. During
movement the skeletal muscles pull on bones which stabilise the joints of the skeleton.
Protection and control of internal tissue structures/organs
Skeletal muscle plays an important role in protecting the internal organs as the visceral
organs and internal tissues contained within the abdominal cavity are protected by layers of
skeletal tissue within the abdominal wall and floor of the pelvic cavity. Similarly, the orifices
contained within the digestive and urinary tracts are encircled by skeletal muscle, and this
allows for voluntary control over swallowing, urination and defaecation (Martini and
Bartholomew, 2012).