The Muscular System By: Abby Norton

Muscular System The human body contains anywhere from 640 to 850 individual muscles. There is no exact number of muscles agreed on because different experts, or scientist, group them into different categories. The Muscular system moves the body and allows the organs to be able to do what they were designed to do. Without the muscles, the body, would not have the normal processes of breathing, blood circulation, digesting food, or even moving. A person cannot live without their muscular system functioning their body.

Types of Muscular Tissue There are three different types of tissue in the muscular system. They are: 1.Cardiac 2.Skeletal 3.Smooth The skeletal muscles are attached to the bones of the body and have the main job of providing the pulling power for the movement of the body. These are movements that we can control ourselves. The smooth muscles are muscles that contract and relax without our control. They move in order to keep some of our internal organs working properly. For example, they are around our stomach, lungs, and intestines. The cardiac muscle, or heart, is a muscle that pushes blood out into the arteries and throughout your body.

The Functions There are many functions of the muscular system. These functions are: – Circulation – Digestion – Heat Production – Movement – Shaping the Body & Maintaining Posture

Muscular Functions Circulation The cardiac muscle, the heart, pushes blood throughout the body by contracting and relaxing. This causes circulation of blood and oxygen throughout in the body. Digestion The muscular system plays a role in the digestive process by pushing the food through the body. It churns the food in the stomach to help absorb energy and nutrients before it is passed through. Heat Production Muscles help regulate the body’s temperature. When it is hot, the muscles redistribute heat to the skin and causes the body to sweat. When it is cold, the body shivers, which causes the muscles to contract and product heat to help the maintain normal body temperature.

Movement The most common known function of muscles is movement. It works with the central nervous system to direct the muscles to move according to the situations. Muscles have the strength to move the bones to perform an action. These actions are voluntary, that means we chose to make these movements. Movements include running, hopping, skipping, jumping, lifting, biking and many other actions. Shaping the Body & Maintaining Posture Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones with ligaments and tendons. When making a movement, muscles contract or relax and can also be stretched further to allow maximum stability. When a person feels strain on their muscles, they begin to slouch over and cannot stand properly. The muscles in the torso have a constant tension to help keep good body posture. Muscles tension also help maintain the balance of the body.

How the Muscular System works with other systems Digestive System - The muscular system interacts with the digestive system from chewing the food in the jaw all the way to the stomach and into the intestines of the digestive system. Skeletal System –The muscular system plays a role in the skeletal system by attaching to the bones and providing support and movement. Immune System - The muscular system plays a role in the immune system by acting as a pump for the lymph vessels since the lymph system does not have a pump. The Circulatory System - The muscular system plays a role in the circulatory system by being the pump for the entire system, the heart. The Respiratory System - The muscular system plays a role in the respiratory system through the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the organ that causes the lungs to inflate and deflate.

Interesting Facts Eye muscles are the busiest muscles in the body. Scientists estimate they may move more than 100,000 times a day! The forearm muscles are responsible for almost all of the hand movements and the various types of activities the hands can perform. Without the use of working forearm muscles, it would be impossible to play a guitar, write words, swing a golf club, lift heavy weights or even slap a high five.

Bibliography le.html le.html /#ixzz1pnXgeosa /#ixzz1pnXgeosa eHow.com other-systems-body.html#ixzz1pnOqeuW2 eHow.com other-systems-body.html#ixzz1pnOqeuW2 muscular-system.html#ixzz1pnZkig5G muscular-system.html#ixzz1pnZkig5G Mrs. Hunt Mrs. Hunt’s Knomi page