MUSCLES

LESSON 9
IMPORTANCE OF MUSCLES
Can you imagine yourself just made up of bones? Bones cannot move alone.
Do you know what are needed to help bones move?
The real shape and form of the body are not seen without the tissues called
muscles. A muscle is a tough, elastic tissue that makes your body parts move
through contraction. The skeleton is held together by the muscles, which work
together to protect the body parts and vital organs. Muscles control all your
movements and play a very important role in everything you do. You are unable
to walk, run, chew, or swallow without your muscles.
More than 600 muscles make up the human body. They all have sizes and
shapes and are found throughout the boy. Muscles make up nearly half the adult’s
body weight.
it takes an average of 13 muscles to smile and an average of 43 muscles to
frown!
STRUCTURE OF MUSCLES
Muscle fibers are hundreds to thousands of long, thin cells that make up muscles. The
bundles of muscle fibers are groups of connective tissues that can shorten or contract. They are
connected to tough connective tissues called tendons. A tendon is a tight cord muscle tissue that
attaches other skeletal muscles to the bones.
The Achilles tendon is a hard but elastic structure at your heels. It is the strongest tendon in
the body and it connects the muscle of the calf to the bone of the heel.
The two ends of the a muscle tissue seem to have pointed ends. One end of the muscle is
attached to a bone that does not move when the muscle contracts. The end of the muscle is called
origin. The other end is called point of insertion. It is attached to a bone that moves when the
muscle contracts.
 KINDS OF MUSCLES
Muscles may be classified according to different characteristic properties.

According to Location
The kinds of muscles according to location are skeletal, visceral, and cardiac muscles.

• Skeletal Muscles. These muscles are usually attached to the bones by tough elastic tendons, which
are white tissues that do not stretch. Most of the body’s muscles are skeletal ones. The muscles of
your arms and legs are skeletal muscles.

Together with the bones, you use skeletal

muscles to make different movements like
walking, jumping, swimming, and bending.
These muscles make you do lifting and
transferring of objects from one place to
another.
HOW SKELETAL MUSCLES WORK
The skeletal muscles contract and pull on the bones to which they are attached when a nerve
stimulates them. Many skeletal muscles contract to make the body rigid when a person stands
erect. The skeletal muscles also can make one part of the body move while another part stays
stiff.
Because skeletal muscles work in parts, they act both ways. One muscle of each pair is called
the flexor, which bends a joint. The biceps muscle in the front of the upper arm is a flexor. When
this muscle contracts, the elbow bends and the forearm and hand move toward the shoulder.
The other muscle, the extensor, does the opposite. The triceps muscle in the back of the
upper arm is an extensor. When it contracts, the elbow strengthens and the forearm and hand
move away from the shoulder. At the same time, the biceps relax so the triceps can pull it back to
its original length. Muscles must be contracted to move your arms. A contracted muscle is a
muscle that becomes shorter and tighter. It pulls on the bones to make them move. A relaxed
muscle is one that is longer and looser.
HOW SKELETAL MUSCLES WORK
Skeletal muscles move through your conscious effort. You can
start and stop anytime you want to. But there are also times when the
skeletal muscles may also move without conscious effort. For
example, you jerk your hand away from a hot cup of water before
thinking.
Skeletal muscles grows with exercise. Bones and tendons also
grow stronger. Muscles grow larger and stronger if a person regularly
lifts heavy weights. Muscle fibers increase their ability to produce
energy for muscular work with regular exercise.
KINDS OF MUSCLES
• Smooth or Visceral Muscles. These are usually found in the
different body organs. Smooth muscles are found in the walls of the
stomach, intestines, uterus, blood vessels, and bladder. Fibers of the
smooth muscles are not striated and are smaller than skeletal muscle
fibers.
As they contract and relax, smooth muscles move automatically
and slowly. Body processes continue even if we are not aware of it
because of the work of smooth muscles.
Smooth muscles work during digestion, breathing, and circulation
of the blood. You cannot control the movements of the smooth
muscles. They keep on working even when we are asleep.
KINDS OF MUSCLES
• Cardiac Muscles. These muscles are a special type that are found only in the heart. Cardiac
muscles are involved in rhythmic beating and contractions of the heart that are not under
conscious control. When cardiac muscles contract, they push blood out of the heart and into
the arteries. The blood then circulates through the body. These muscles are always pumping
blood through the body. They never stop working. You do not have direct control over these
muscles.
Both the characteristics of skeletal and smooth muscles are possessed by cardiac muscles.
Cardiac muscles look like skeletal muscle but act like smooth or visceral muscles. Cardiac
muscles have striations like skeletal muscle fibers. Each cardiac muscle contracts automatically
like smooth muscle fibers.
HOW SMOOTH MUSCLES WORK
Smooth and cardiac muscles do not work in the same way as
skeletal muscles. They are involuntary muscles that work under the
control of the nervous system. When we eat food, smooth muscles
move this through the digestive system. Food and oxygen in the
blood move to the different parts of the cardiac muscle fibers of the
heart.
KINDS OF MUSCLES
According to Location
Voluntary and involuntary muscles are kinds of muscles according to
movement control.

• Voluntary Muscles. These are skeletal muscles that move through your
conscious effort .. These muscles move when you want them to move. The
muscles in your arms and legs fall under this kind of muscle.

• Involuntary Muscles. Involuntary muscles may be kept from working

properly when you feel angry, scared, or upset. When you are upset, these
involuntary muscles twitch and you begin to tremble. Your voluntary muscles
may also be affected by strong feelings, too.
DISEASE AND DISORDERS OF MUSCLES
Muscles of internal organ are also affected by diseases and
disorders that can be prevented and treated early.

Muscular Rheumatism or Lumbago. This occurs when sheaths or

bundles of muscle fibers are inflamed. The muscles located at the
lower back are the muscles most commonly affected by muscular
rheumatism or lumbago. This muscular disorder usually occurs
among adults.
Pain may be relieved by engaging in moderate exercises and
applying hot compress.
DISEASE AND DISORDERS OF MUSCLES
Atrophy. This disease attacks and damages the brain or nerve that
stimulates the muscles. The muscles stop working when they cannot
receive message from the brain. They start to shrink and become
weak. Then, they become useless.
Patients afflicted with atrophy go to doctor for regular check-up
and prescribed medicines.
DISEASE AND DISORDERS OF MUSCLES
Muscular Dystrophy. This is a serious disease that
directly affects and weakens the skeletal muscles. A
person’s breathing, posture, and movements are seriously
affected. This disease is inherited from either parent. A
defect in one or more of the genes that control muscle
structure and function causes muscular dystrophy.
Doctors prescribe medicines to strengthen the skeletal
muscles. A healthy diet is also a must.
 DISEASE AND DISORDERS OF MUSCLES
Poliomyelitis. This disease is also called polio or infantile paralysis. Polio is a
serious infection caused by a virus that may enter the nose or mouth and travel to the
intestines and into the blood. Upon reaching a nerve cell, the virus multiplies rapidly
and invades may nerve cells.
Fever, headache, sore throat, and vomiting are polio’s mild symptoms. These
symptoms may disappear right away. But in sever polio attacks, these mild symptoms
do not disappear. Stiffness of the neck and back develops. Muscles weakens, and
movements become difficult. When the back and the legs are stretched or straightened,
pain occurs. Polio may result in paralysis, but does not always result in sever illness.
Polio may be prevented. Two polio vaccines protect against all three types of
polioviruses. Polio vaccines must be administered to children early in life at two
months up to six years of age. These vaccines may be taken orally or may be injected.
PROPER FOR THE MUSCLES
Smooth muscles of the stomach and intestine may be affected by cramps.
These muscles may suddenly and painfully contract. Stomach or
intestinal cramps may be due to poor eating habits or from chilling the
stomach. To relieve pain and relax the muscles, administer heat, massage,
and medicines.
Sufficient milk should be included in your daily diet. Milk has calcium,
which must be present in body tissues for the cells to function normally.
Your diet should be supplemented with an intake of vitamins and
minerals, particularly vitamins B, c and D.
A program of adequate physical exercise should be developed. Walking,
swimming, and engaging in other sports promote better supply of blood
to the muscles.
PROPER FOR THE MUSCLES
Muscle exercise, massage, and warm baths are beneficial for persons not
physically able tot carry on active exercise. These are done to increase
one’s blood circulation and to develop muscles. A warm heating pad
placed next to the lower part of the back produces reflex effect. This
enables blood vessels of the legs to carry large volumes of blood
throughout the sleep. Leg cramps during sleep may be prevented with the
heating pad left in place all night.
For persons whose work require them to stand for a long time, they are
advised to sit or lie down for five minutes after every two hours.
Stagnant blood may be drained away by elevating the feet to a higher
level than the hips, thereby improving the circulation of the lower
extremities.