What Are the Functions of Muscle Tissue?

Between the Functions of muscle tissue Is mainly the movement of the skeleton, heart and internal organs. There are three different types of muscle tissue located in specific parts of the body, responsible for carrying out each of the bodily functions that require movement (White, 2001).

Muscle tissue is made up of excitable cells, capable of exerting a contraction and relaxation movement. It is the most abundant tissue among all the different types of tissues that are present in the human body, such as the epithelial, connective and nervous.

Functions of muscle tissue

Within the muscular tissue can be observed numerous microfilaments composed of contractile proteins such as actin and myosin. These proteins are responsible for the movement of all types of muscles (Siegfried, 2004).

Muscle tissue is divided into three different types: skeletal, cardiac and smooth. Each of these different types of tissue fulfills specific functions that allow the movement of different parts of the body (Roses, 2003-2017).

The skeletal tissue has the function of executing body movements in a controlled way, the cardiac tissue is responsible for the movement of the heart that allows blood to be pumped to the body and the smooth tissue has the function of facilitating the processes of the internal organs that make up the different systems of the body.

Types of Muscle Tissue and Its Functions

There are three different types of muscle tissue: skeletal, cardiac and smooth tissue. These types of tissue are classified according to the level of detail of the muscle fibers that allow each different type of tissue to exert specific functions.

The function of each of these types of muscle tissue depends on the location they have in the body.

Skeletal muscle tissue

Skeletal muscle tissue is called this way, because it is attached to the bones by means of tendons. It is controlled by the peripheral nervous system And is associated with voluntary body movements (Bailey, 2016).

Skeletal tissue is known as striated muscle tissue because of its appearance. Unlike heart tissue, this tissue is composed of light and dark bands visible only through a microscope and is not branched.

Similarly, skeletal tissue cells are cylindrical in shape with many nuclei located at their edges or periphery. These cells are covered by connective tissue that protects clusters of muscle fibers.

The connective tissue that lines the cells of skeletal muscle tissue contains numerous vessels and nerves that supply it with oxygen and allow the process of muscle contraction caused by received nerve impulses to take place (Calendar, 2007).

Skeletal tissue has the function of moving the skeleton in a conscious and controlled way. It includes the movement of several groups that allow coordination to exist when moving different parts of the body. These groups include the following:

  • Head and neck: they have the function of moving the facial muscles, chewing and moving the neck.
  • Trunk: are responsible for movement of the chest, back, abdomen and spine.
  • Upper extremities: control the movement of the shoulders, arms, hands and fingers.
  • Lower extremities: have the function of moving the legs, ankles, knees, feet and fingers.

Simple facial movements depend on skeletal muscle tissue, so smiling is only possible thanks to it.

Muscle tissue c Ardíaco

The heart muscle tissue is called this way because it is the one that is present in the heart. The heart is composed of three layers: the epicardium, myocardium and endocardium.

The tissue present in each of these layers fulfills a specific function, so the myocardium is the central layer whose fibers carry the electrical impulses necessary for the cardiac conduction process to occur (Taylor, 2017).

The fibers of the cardiac muscle tissue are striated and branched, sometimes characterized by having a"Y"shape and a single central nucleus. These fibers are attached at their ends to adjacent fibers by means of thick plasma membranes called intercalated discs which are the ones that allow a synchronization when the heart beats.

Among the functions of cardiac tissue is to pump blood through the heart, alternating the movements of contraction and relaxation of the valves of the heart muscle.

These movements help oxygenate blood flow through the right atrium and right ventricle into the lungs, and oxygenated blood passes from the left atrium to the left ventricle and aortic artery.

Smooth muscle tissue

The smooth or visceral muscle tissue is found in different parts of the body, including blood vessels, the bladder, the digestive tract and the interior of some hollow organs. Both cardiac and smooth muscle tissue are regulated by The autonomic nervous system And its movement is involuntary.

Unlike skeletal and cardiac muscle tissues, the smooth tissue does not have stretch marks and its fibers are small and conical, with smaller ends.

Each of the fibers of smooth muscle tissue has a localized central nucleus and moves more slowly than those located in the skeletal tissue with contractions that can be sustained for long periods of time.

Contractions of smooth muscle tissue shrink the diameter of surrounding vessels. This function is particularly important in the digestive system, in which the action of smooth muscle tissue helps to move food from one place to another along the gastrointestinal tract, making the digestion process possible.

Similarly, smooth tissue also contributes to the movement of fluids through the body and to the removal of hard-to-digest matter from the digestive system (Zhang, 1998).

The organs of the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and reproductive systems are composed of smooth muscle tissue.

There are two types of muscles composed of this tissue: rhythmic and tonics. Rhythmic muscles contract periodically and spend most of their time relaxed, while the toned muscles spend more time contracted and only relax for short periods of time.

References

  1. Bailey, R. (March 30, 2016). About Education . Obtained from Muscle Tissue: biology.about.com
  2. . The Human Body: Skeletal & Muscular Systems. Scottsdale: Remedia Publications.
  3. Roses, I. (2003-2017). Ivy Roses . Obtained from Structure and Functions of Muscular Tissue: ivyroses.com
  4. Siegfried, D.R. (2004). Anatomy & Physiology For Dummies. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing.
  5. Taylor, T. (2017). Inner Body . Obtained from Cardiac Muscle Tissue: innerbody.com
  6. White, K. (2001). The Muscular System. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.
  7. Zhang, S.-X. (1998). Smooth Muscle. In S.-X. Zhang, An Atlas of Histology (Page 60). Lexington: Spring.

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