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Introduction to Muscles and Muscle Tissue definitions

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  • Contractility
    The ability of muscle tissue to shorten forcibly, generating movement.
  • Extensibility
    The capacity of muscle tissue to be stretched without damage.
  • Elasticity
    The property of muscle tissue to return to its original shape after contraction or extension.
  • Excitability
    The ability of muscle tissue to respond to stimuli, often through action potentials.
  • Skeletal Muscle
    Voluntary, striated muscle tissue attached to bones, responsible for body movement.
  • Cardiac Muscle
    Involuntary, striated muscle found in the heart, characterized by a branching pattern.
  • Smooth Muscle
    Involuntary, non-striated muscle found in hollow organs, controlling movement within them.
  • Striations
    Crosswise stripes in muscle tissue indicating organized protein structures.
  • Intercalated Discs
    Structures in cardiac muscle linking cells, facilitating synchronized contraction.
  • ATP
    The primary energy carrier in cells, used by muscles to convert chemical energy into movement.
  • Nuclei
    Cellular structures containing genetic material; skeletal muscle cells have multiple due to their size.
  • Voluntary Muscle
    Muscle that can be consciously controlled, such as skeletal muscle.
  • Involuntary Muscle
    Muscle that operates without conscious control, like cardiac and smooth muscle.
  • Mechanical Energy
    Energy associated with the movement and position of an object, produced by muscle contraction.
  • Homeostasis
    The body's ability to maintain stable internal conditions, aided by muscle-generated heat.