Muscular System

Muscle tissue is either smooth, cardiac, or skeletal. Smooth muscle is spindle-shaped, has a single nucleus, it is on the walls of hollow internal organs, and it is involuntary. Cardiac muscle is tubular, has one nucleus, it is in the walls of the heart, and is involuntary. Skeletal muscle is tube-shaped, attached to the skeleton, and is voluntary.

The functions of the muscles are: support the body, make bones and other body parts move, help maintain a constant body temperature, assists movement, and helps protect internal organs and stabilize joints.

To name a muscle scientists used a number of characteristics to help them. The characteristics used are; size, shape, direction of fibers, location, attachment, number of attachments, and action.

As people age their muscle mass and strength decreases. This is because they have lack of exercise and a poor diet.

Specifications

WARNING:

Cramps and pains may result in lying in bed all day. Lack of exercise and poor diet may result in muscle loss.

DANGERS:

When pulling a muscle it may never heal properly.

Operation

There are four main functions of the muscular system. They are to support the body, make bones and other body parts move, help maintain a constant body temperature, and they help protect internal organs and stabilize joints.

1. Support the body: holds the body up.

2. Make bones and other body parts move: without muscles all we would have is our bones. To make the bones move we have muscles attached.

3. Help maintain a constant body temperature: muscle contraction causes ATP to break down, releasing heat that is distributed about the body.

4. Help protect internal organs and stabilize joints: Muscles pad the bones that protect organs, and they have tendons that help hold bones together at joints.

Safety Instructions

Maintenance

To be done daily: good eating habits.

To be done weekly (at least): Exercise.

Yearly inspections: Physicals.