Muscles of the Human Body

Muscle Power Brainpop: Muscles More than a few. The human body has more than 650 muscles. Unique in its own way. No two muscles in the body have exactly the same function. When one muscle is paralyzed, either stability of the body part is impaired or some specific movement is lost. Watch your step. Forward locomotion such as walking or running is actually the process of losing and catching one's balance. Boost your burning power. Did you know that for every 1 lb of muscle you gain, your body burns an extra 50 calories a day? If you can turn at least 5 lbs of extra "fat" into muscle, you will automatically burn an additional 250 calories per day.

Muscle Power A mini-Charles Atlas. Muscles are comprised of muscle fibers. Each fiber is thinner than a human hair and can support up to 1,000 times its own weight. Use it or lose it. By age 65, people who haven't engaged in regular exercise may incur a decrease in their muscular strength level by as much as 80%. Make your move. A muscle moves by contracting and by its motion, you move. As a machine for moving, a muscle is pretty efficient, using about 35-50% of its potential energy.

Say Cheese! You use 14 muscles to smile and 43 to frown. Muscles normally account for 40% of one's body weight. You have over 30 facial muscles which create looks like surprise, happiness, sadness, and frowning. Eye muscles are the busiest muscles in the body. Scientists estimate they may move more than 100,000 times a day! The largest muscle in the body is the one you sit on!

How do muscles move? Muscles that move your bones work in pairs. When one contracts, the other must relax. For example, your bicep must relax and lengthen when your triceps contract and shorten.

Types of muscles Cardiac Skeletal Smooth Heart Voluntary Involuntary

Watch a quick movie about muscles.