Muscles

This chapter describes the structure and function of the three different kinds of muscle; smooth, cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Objectives

After completing this section, you should know:

• the structure of smooth, cardiac and skeletal muscle and where they are found
• what the insertion and origin of a muscle is
• what flexion and extension of a muscle means
• that muscles usually operate as antagonistic pairs
• what tendons attach muscles to bones

Summary

• There are three different kinds of muscle tissue: smooth muscle in the walls of the gut and blood

vessels; cardiac muscle in the heart and skeletal muscle attached to the skeleton.

• Tendons attach skeletal muscles to the skeleton.
• Ligaments link bones together at a joint.
• Skeletal muscles work in pairs known as antagonistic pairs. As one contracts the other in the pair relaxes.
• Flexion is the movement that reduces the angle of a joint. Extension increases the angle of a joint.

Learning Activities

Library of Resources

Presentations and Blackboard quizzes can be accessed by students of Otago Polytechnic.