Muscular system in human body moves the body and enables
many body organs to perform their functions. Without muscles the body will not be able
to carry out most of its normal processes such as circulation of blood, breathing, and
digesting the food. Also the body will not be able to move. In this way a person cannot
continue to live without the contribution of muscular system in functioning of his or
her body.
The muscular system in human body consists of
more than 600 muscles. There is no common agreement on exact number of muscles in human
body as some of the muscles are grouped by different scholars and experts in different
ways. Each of the muscle consists to groups of fibres that are capable of contracting to
exert the force required for movement and for exerting force. When a muscle contracts it
pulls the parts of the body to which it is attached causing it to
move.
Muscles of human body are divided in two main groups
called skeletal muscles and smooth muscles. In addition a third kind of muscle group
called cardiac muscles is present only in heart, and has characteristics of both
skeletal and smooth muscles.
Skeletal muscles are attached
to the bones of the skeleton and are responsible for moving various bones of the
skeleton including parts such as fingers, arms and legs. We are able to consciously
control the movement of skeletal muscles.
Smooth muscles
are found in most of the body's internal organs that are responsible for giving required
movement to the organs for their functioning. For example smooth muscles in the walls of
the stomach and intestines move food through the digestive system. Similarly smooth
muscles also control the width of the blood vessels and the size of the breathing
passages. Smooth muscles function by contracting and relaxing involuntarily. We do not
make conscious effort to make these muscles work. Therefore the smooth muscles are also
called involuntary muscles.
It is important to note that in
the process of moving various part of the body the muscles do consume energy and produce
heat, but that is not a direct function of muscles.
No comments:
Post a Comment