How Do Muscles Function

Every movement we make is powered by muscles. Muscles are controlled by nerve signals from the brain. There are three main types of muscle - skeletal, smooth and cardiac. Skeletal muscle is also called striated muscle and it covers the bones of the skeleton. It is attached to the bones by long cords called tendons. When the muscle contracts or shortens it moves the bone. Skeletal muscles are also called voluntary muscles because they can be controlled at will. Smooth muscle is found in the digestive systems, bladder and blood vessels. It is called involuntary muscle because it works automatically, even when you are asleep. Cardiac muscle is found only in the heart. With the help of cardiac muscle the heart beats 2500 million times in a life span of 70 years. The body’s largest muscle is in the buttock and the smallest muscles are the tiny muscles of the small bones inside the ears.

Why muscles are essential for us

There are 639 muscles in our body. All of them are connected to the bones. The shape and structure of these muscles vary. A medium-sized muscle consists of about 10 million cells. All the muscles of the body put together have about 600 million cells. Muscles help the body to produce heat and help in movement of food from one place to another in the digestive system. They take the air to the lungs. Without them, we cannot speak, walk or have food. If they stop working all the movements of the limbs of our body would come to a halt.

How do the muscles work in the body

Whenever our brain sends a message for some work, the muscle shrinks. In this process the chemical energy of the nutritious substances present in the cells get converted into mechanical energy. Contraction of the muscle is completed in one tenth of a second. As soon as the muscle returns to its normal position it is again directed by the brain to work and it contracts. Thus on account of repeated contractions of the muscles the body keeps on working continuously.

Health Factor

All muscles including the heart, must be used regularly, or they waste away. Regular exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Taking part in a sport or exercising two or three times a week, helps keep a person fit.