Muscle Cell Functions
Muscle cells are designed primarily to allow movement of different parts of your body. This include both the external and internal parts of your body. One of the important internal organ movements that is facilitated by muscle cells is the pumping of your heart. Furthermore, muscle cells help maintain proper body posture and sense of balance.
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Definition
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Muscle cells, according to the National Library of Medicine, "are mature contractile cells, commonly known as myocytes". These cells are the basic unit of all muscles in your body. There are three kinds of muscle: skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle. The skeletal muscle cells form voluntary (controllable) muscles like those found in your legs. The cardiac and smooth muscle cells form involuntary (uncontrollable) muscles such as those found in your heart and stomach, respectively.
Movement
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The primary function of muscles is to facilitate movement. This function is achieved by adjusting, or contracting, the muscle tissues. Skeletal muscles enable you to move freely at certain conditions or limits. For instance, muscles in your neck enable you to rotate sideward but not at a full (360 degree) rotation.
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Maintain Posture
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Muscle cells help maintain your body's posture by providing strength, support and stability. These muscles, according to the Better Health Channel, "maintain posture and contribute to balance by 'sensing' our position and relaying this information to the brain." For instance, your muscle cells support your body when in you ride a rollercoaster by sensing the right position despite the rapid twists and turns of the ride.
Internal Organ Mobility
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The smooth muscles covering your body organs enable mobility, such as peristalsis of the digestive system. This mobility facilitates the normal breakdown of foods that you consume. Moreover, the smooth muscles also enable relaxation of your internal organs. Muscle relaxation happen, according to R. Clinton Webb of the Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, "as a result of removal of the contractile stimulus or by ... inhibition of the contractile mechanism." For instance, muscle cells induce relaxation of your blood vessels during vasodilation.
Facilitate Heart Pumping
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Connective tissues and mostly muscle tissues form the human heart. The cardiac muscle cells or cardiomyocytes that form the muscle tissues, as stated in Cells Alive, "are responsible for the heart's ability to beat and pump blood throughout the body." Furthermore, the cardiomyocytes, which beat independently, are responsible for the unison beating of your heart.
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