Purpose of the Muscular System
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Introduction
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The muscular system is made up of over 650 muscles spread throughout your body. Without them, your body would be unable to sit, stand, swim or walk. Without muscles, you would not even be alive, as it is one of the most important muscles in your body is your heart. Overall, your muscles help you move by contracting and relaxing their fibers. There are three main types of muscles, each with their own purpose.
Cardiac
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The first type of muscle in your body is cardiac muscle. Your cardiac muscles are the most important muscles in your body as they make up both the heart and brain. Cardiac muscles are similar to other muscles in the body by contracting using the sliding filament method, but they differ in that they do not attach to bone, but instead attach to other pieces of muscle.
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Smooth
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Your smooth muscles are the next most important muscles in your muscular system. The smooth muscles make up most of your organs including your digestive tract, bladder, and even your arteries and veins are made from smooth muscle. The smooth muscles in your body are involuntary muscles, meaning that you cannot contract them "at will". Smooth muscles contract as needed, such as in the case of pushing food through the digestive tract. Smooth muscles contact in conjunction with the nervous system and special hormones released by your body.
Skeletal
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Skeletal muscle is another important type of muscle in the muscular system. Skeletal muscle fibers are what allow you to physically move. As such, most skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles, although some skeletal muscle is also involuntary. Skeletal muscles attach to your bone structure and use the nervous system to contract their fibers. As the muscle contracts, movement occurs, allowing you to walk, talk, and go about your regular daily activities. Skeletal muscles make up an estimated 40 percent of your total overall body weight.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Lies Van Rompaey: Wikimedia.org
