In this episode, we explore the muscular system, focusing on its anatomy, physiology, and key functions.

We’ll break down the different types of muscles and their roles in movement, support, protection, heat generation, and blood circulation.

You'll learn about the specific functions of various muscle fibers and how they contribute to overall muscle performance.

We'll also discuss common muscular disorders and provide practical tips, including dietary recommendations, to help maintain a healthy and strong muscular system.

Here are the main functions of the different types of muscle tissue found in the human body:

● Skeletal Muscle

○ Movement: Skeletal muscles are responsible for voluntary movements, such as swallowing and moving the limbs. They achieve this by pulling on bones, causing movement at the joints.

○ Posture: These muscles make small, constant adjustments to maintain body posture, whether sitting or standing.

○ Stability: They also prevent excessive bone and joint movement, maintaining skeletal stability and preventing structural damage.

○ Control of Body Openings: Skeletal muscles are found around openings of internal tracts, such as the digestive and urinary tracts, controlling the movement of substances and enabling voluntary control of functions like swallowing, urination and defecation.

○ Protection: They act as a barrier for internal organs, particularly in the abdomen and pelvis, shielding them from external trauma and supporting their weight.

○ Heat Generation: Skeletal muscle contractions generate heat, helping to maintain body temperature. This is noticeable during exercise and shivering.

○ Facial Expressions: These muscles facilitate facial expressions by pulling on the soft tissues of the face.

● Smooth Muscle

○ Involuntary Movement: Located in the walls of hollow organs and passageways, smooth muscle facilitates involuntary movements, such as breathing, digestion and blood vessel constriction and dilation. Examples of such organs include the urinary bladder, uterus, stomach, intestines, arteries and veins.

○ Control of Substances: Smooth muscles regulate the passage of substances through organs and passageways by contracting or relaxing.

○ Other Functions: Smooth muscle in the eyes controls iris size and lens shape, while smooth muscle in the skin allows hair to stand erect in response to cold or fear.

● Cardiac Muscle

○ Blood Circulation: This specialised muscle tissue, found exclusively in the heart, contracts in a coordinated manner to pump blood into the circulatory system.

○ Wave-like Contractions: Cardiac muscle is striated, like skeletal muscle, and its cells are connected by intercalated discs, which allow for wave-like contractions essential for the heart's pumping action.

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