| Info: Human Organ Systems - Muscular System (Muscles) Muscular System The muscular system is the anatomical system of a species that allows it to move. The muscular system in vertebrates is controlled through the nervous system, although some muscles (such as the cardiac muscle) can be completely autonomous. Muscles Muscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse") is the contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to produce force and cause motion. Muscles can cause either locomotion of the organism itself or movement of internal organs. Cardiac and smooth muscle contraction occurs without conscious thought and is necessary for survival. Examples are the contraction of the heart and peristalsis which pushes food through the digestive system. Voluntary contraction of the skeletal muscles is used to move the body and can be finely controlled. Examples are movements of the eye, or gross movements like the quadriceps muscle of the thigh. There are two broad types of voluntary muscle fibres: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch fibres contract for long periods of time but with little force while fast twitch fibres contract quickly and powerfully but fatigue very rapidly. Muscles are predominately powered by the oxidation of fats and carbohydrates, but anaerobic chemical reactions are also used, particularly by fast twitch fibres. These chemical reactions produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules which are used to power the movement of the myosin heads. |
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