Muscles

• Muscles are specialised effectors that, when stimulated, bring about movement through contraction
• skeletal muscles are largely made up of protein and they consist of large numbers of very long cells known as muscle fibres bound together by connective tissue
• Skeletal

  1. Attached to bones
  2. Used for movement of part of the body and locomotion
  3. Made of long fibres with distinctive cross-striations (banding)
  4. Voluntary control
• Smooth

  1. Present in walls of tubular organs
  2. Used for movement of materials throughout the body
  3. They are shorter, spindle shaped cells with no cross-striations
  4. Involuntary or automatic (reflex)
• Cardiac

  1. Only found within the walls of the heart
  2. Used for pumping of the heart to maintain blood circulation
  3. The cells are branched forming a linked network with toughened cell membranes between cells
  4. Myogenic and involuntary control