The Muscular System

Muscular System Muscle Tissue and Connective Tissue Somewhere in your body a muscle is working. Try as you might to keep still, you just can’t do it. If your muscles didn’t work all the time, you would collapse. Even your heart and intestines are working when you don’t know it.

3 Types of Muscle Tissue 1. Smooth muscle – found in the digestive tract and in blood vessels. The muscles are INVOLUNTARY, which means you have NO CONTROL over them. 2. Cardiac muscle – found only in your heart. This muscle is INVOLUNTARY, which means you have NO CONTROL over it.

3 Types of Muscle Tissue 3. Skeletal Muscle- these muscles are attached to your bones for movement, and they help protect your inner organs. These muscles are VOLUNTARY, which means you DO HAVE CONTROL over them.

Smooth Muscle What moves food down your digestive tract? Muscles push your food in one direction while digestion takes place. You have no control over this action – involuntary!

Smooth Muscle Your blood vessels are lined with smooth muscle to take the pressure of blood flowing through them.

Cardiac Muscle A special type of muscle found only in your heart. Your heart beats without you controlling it- involuntary. Must be very strong to work for so long without stopping.

Skeletal Muscle This muscle is muscle attached to your bones to allow movement and support your body. These muscles work in pairs – if one Contracts – the other one in the pair Relaxes.

Skeletal Muscle Attached to bones by TENDONS. Tendons are connective tissue – one end is attached to bone, the other attached to muscle.

Can You Name That Muscle? Upper Arm – Back of the Arm – Front of the Leg – Back of the Leg – Between the Shoulders –