What is the Muscular System?

Diagram of the Muscular System

Definition of Muscular System: The muscular system is an organ system made up of muscle fibres that allow the body to move, maintain posture, and circulate blood.

The muscular system is a complex of tissues comprising highly elongated and contractile cells called myocytes. The myocytes together form the muscle fibers that serve as the units of locomotion and movement in the body. Muscle fibers are highly contractile and can contract up to one-third of their total length. This allows them to bring out the contraction of muscles. The muscular system forms around 40- 50% of the body mass and primarily contains three types of muscles that are differentiated in structure, function, and shape. These are

Skeletal muscles: These are striated in appearance. They have multinucleated myocytes that are cylindrical.
Smooth muscles: These are non-striated in appearance. These have a singular nucleus in each myocyte and are spindle-shaped.
Cardiac muscles: These are branched muscle fibers that are striated.

The primary function of the muscular system is contraction. By contracting and relaxing, they allow a wide range of movement of the different parts of the body and its organs. This maintains all physiological functions essential for living, like breathing, digestion, etc.

Also Read: Anatomy & Physiology of Human Skeletal System

Muscular System | Diagram, Types and Functions

The muscular system is composed of muscle fibers that enable the body to move, maintain posture, and circulate blood. It consists of three different types of muscles: the skeletal muscles, cardiac muscles, and visceral muscles. The essential function of the muscular system is to support involuntary and voluntary movement and to maintain stability and posture in all living organisms. In this article, we will discuss the muscular system, its types, functions, and disorders that can affect its functioning.

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