Muscle Structure

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Muscle Structure Objectives

List and describe basic muscle system functions.
Describe the basic microanatomy of muscles, including what is meant by a “bundle within bundle” structure.
Identify key muscles (or muscle groups), including muscles with opposing actions.

This video introduces the human muscular system with an overview of functions and structures.

These are the muscles, or groups of muscles, to know for this course.

Note: you may already know this, but it was news to me when I first started running. Many muscle names like “quadriceps” refer to groups of muscles, not individual muscles. Group names are easier to remember and you tend to use muscles in a group together at the same time.

Some of out largest muscle groups have opposing actions.

Our body has three types of muscle tissue, we are working with one in this guide and the others in upcoming guides.

Cardiac: branching cells weave together strong heart tissue.

Smooth: spindle-shaped cells form tissue that wraps around hollow organs like the intestines.

Skeletal: long tube-shaped cells have clearly visible striations (stripes). This muscle type is found in our large skeletal muscles.

Here is a closer look at skeletal muscle microanatomy.

This video is showing a sagittal plane view of three skeletal muscle cells.

The next section focuses in on the tendons and ligaments that connect muscles and bones.

Check your knowledge. Can you:

list and describe basic muscle system functions?
describe the basic microanatomy of muscles, including what is meant by a “bundle within bundle” structure?
identify key muscles (or muscle groups), including muscles with opposing actions?