types of muscles

• fusiform


  • muscle fibres and tendons run in the same direction
  • contract rapidly, produce low forces
• pennate


  • fibres run on angles from the tendons
  • contract slowly, generate greater force
• unipennate


  fibres on one side of the tendon

  eg. semimembranosis
• bipennate


  fibres on both sides of the tendon

  eg. gastrocnemius
• multipennate


  fibres branch from a number of tendons

  eg. deltoid