Striated muscles are what type of muscles

Skeletal muscle , attached to bones, is responsible for skeletal movements. The peripheral portion of the central nervous system CNS controls the skeletal muscles. Thus, these muscles are under conscious, or voluntary, control. The basic unit is the muscle fiber with many nuclei. These muscle fibers are striated having transverse streaks and each acts independently of neighboring muscle fibers. Learn about the different types of muscle tissues in this tutorial and the molecular mechanisms of contraction Read More.

The circulatory system is key to the transport of vital biomolecules and nutrients throughout the body. Learn about the different components and functions of the human circulatory system dealt with in detail in this tutorial. The lymphatic system is also elucidated elaborately here Skip to content Main Navigation Search. Voluntary refers to whether the muscle is under conscious control, striation refers to the presence of visible banding within myocytes which occurs due to organization of myofibrils to produce a constant direction of tension.

By applying the above classifications it is possible to describe three forms of muscle tissue which perform the wide range of functions described. Skeletal muscle mainly attaches to the skeletal system via tendons to maintain posture and control movement for example contraction of the biceps muscle, attached to the scapula and radius, will raise the forearm. Some skeletal muscle can attach directly to other muscles or the skin, as seen in the face where numerous muscles control facial expression.

Skeletal muscle is under voluntary control, although this can be subconscious for example when maintaining posture or balance. Morphologically skeletal myocytes are elongated and tubular and appear striated with multiple peripheral nuclei. Cardiac muscle tissue is found only in the heart where cardiac contractions pump blood throughout the body and maintain blood pressure.

As with skeletal muscle cardiac muscle is striated, however it is not consciously controlled and so is involuntary. Cardiac muscle can be further differentiated from skeletal muscle by the presence of intercalated discs which control the synchronized contraction of cardiac tissues. Cardiac myocytes are shorter than skeletal equivalents and contain only one or two centrally located nuclei.

Smooth muscle tissue is found associated with numerous other organs and tissue systems such as the digestive system or respiratory system.