Muscular Tissue
Muscular tissue consists of elongated cells, also called muscle fibres. This tissue is responsible for movement in our body. Muscles contain special proteins called contractile proteins, which contract and relax to cause movement.
Muscles present in our limbs move when we want them to, and stop when we so decide. Such muscles are called voluntary muscles. These muscles are also called skeletal muscles as they are mostly attached to bones and help in body movement.
On the basis of their location, structure and function, there are following three types of muscle fibres :- 1. Striated muscles 2. Smooth muscle 3. Cardiac muscles
- Striated Muscles:- These muscles show alternate light and dark bands or striations when stained appropriately. They are called striated muscles. The cells of this tissue are long, cylindrical, unbranched and multinucleate.
- They are attached to the bones and are responsible for body movements, they are called skeletal muscles.
- These muscles work accordingly to our will, they are also called voluntary muscles.
- Smooth Muscles:- Smooth muscles do not work according to our will, so they are also called involuntary muscles.
- In some organs, smooth muscles contract throughout the organ to produce extrusive movements as in the urinary bladder, the gall bladder and the uterus.
- They are also found in iris of the eye, in the bronchi of the lungs.
- Cardiac Muscles:- The muscles of the heart show rhythmic contraction and relaxation throughout life. These involuntary muscles are called cardiac muscles.
- Heart muscle cells are cylindrical, branched and uninucleate.
- The contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles help to pump and distribute blood to various parts of body.
