In: Anatomy and Physiology
500 words that compares and contrasts the CELLULAR FUNCTION of skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle (a type of skeletal muscle)
Cellular function of skeletal muscle : Skeletal muscle cells are long and cylindrical, they are commonly referred to as muscle fibers. Skeletal muscle fibers can be quite large for human cells, with diameters up to 100 μm and lengths up to 30 cm (11.8 in) in the Sartorius of the upper leg.
In
addition to the actin and myosin components that constitute the
sarcomere, skeletal muscle fibers also contain two other important
regulatory proteins which are troponin and tropomyosin, that are
necessary for muscle contraction to occur. These proteins are
associated with actin which cooperates to prevent its interaction
with myosin. Skeletal muscle cells are excitable which subject to
depolarization by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, released at
the neuromuscular junction by motor neurons.
Once a cell is sufficiently stimulated, the cell's sarcoplasmic
reticulum releases ionic calcium (Ca2+), which then interacts with
the regulatory protein troponin.
Cellular function of smooth muscle : Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs such as intestines and stomachs. They work automatically without being aware of them. Smooth muscles are involved in many 'housekeeping' functions of the body. The muscular walls of intestines contract to push food through the body. Muscles in your bladder wall contract to expel urine from the body. Smooth muscles in a woman's uterus (or womb) help to push babies out of the body during childbirth. The pupillary sphincter muscle in the eye is a smooth muscle that shrinks the size of the pupil.
Cellular function of cardiac muscle : Heart is made of cardiac muscle. This type of muscle only exists in the heart. Unlike other types of muscle, cardiac muscle never gets tired. It works automatically and constantly without ever pausing to rest. Cardiac muscle contracts to squeeze blood out of the heart, and relaxes to fill your heart with blood.