Anatomy And Physiology

    Compare and contrast the characteristics of skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle  

Sample Solution

     

Here's a breakdown of the key characteristics comparing skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle:

Feature Skeletal Muscle Smooth Muscle Cardiac Muscle
Location Attached to bones Walls of organs, blood vessels Heart only
Control Voluntary Involuntary Involuntary
Appearance under microscope Striated (banded) Spindle-shaped, no striations Striated (banded)
Cells Multinucleated, long, cylindrical Single nucleus, spindle-shaped Single nucleus, branched
Contraction speed Fast Slow, sustained Moderate
Fatigue resistance Low High High
Function Movement of the body Movement of substances through organs, blood vessel regulation Pumping blood throughout body

Full Answer Section

    Similarities:
  • All three muscle types are capable of contraction, which is the shortening of muscle fibers to generate force.
  • All three types use actin and myosin proteins to create this contractile force.
Differences:
  • Control:Skeletal muscle is voluntary, meaning we can consciously control its movement. Smooth and cardiac muscles are involuntary, meaning their contractions are not under conscious control.
  • Structure:Skeletal and cardiac muscles have a striated appearance due to the organized arrangement of actin and myosin filaments. Smooth muscle lacks this striation.
  • Cells:Skeletal muscle cells are multinucleated and long, while smooth muscle cells have a single nucleus and a spindle shape. Cardiac muscle cells are also single-nucleated, but branched and interconnected.
  • Contraction:Skeletal muscle contracts quickly and powerfully but fatigues easily. Smooth muscle contracts slowly and sustainedly with high fatigue resistance. Cardiac muscle has a moderate contraction speed and high fatigue resistance.
  • Location and Function:Skeletal muscle is responsible for gross body movements. Smooth muscle is found in various organs and regulates the movement of substances within them. Cardiac muscle is unique to the heart and pumps blood throughout the body.
By understanding these differences, we can appreciate how each muscle type is specialized for its specific function within the body.    

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