What Is Myology ? | Myology | Anjani Mishra

Written By Anjani Mishra


MYOLOGY

Myology is the division of systematic anatomy which deals with the form and structure of muscles.

Muscle is an organ formed by muscular tissues composed of specialized cells which have the properties of contractility and conductivity to produce movement within certain organs and the body as a whole.

Muscle fiber:

The structural and functional unit of muscular tissue is a muscle fiber. Their arrangement suggests that they may be called fibers instead of cells, because muscle cells are much longer than their width, therefore muscle cells are often called muscle fibers. 

It is a single cell in skeletal and smooth muscle, but in cardiac muscle, it is a collection of few cells. It has single to several nuclei where smooth muscle and cardiac muscle is uninucleated and skeletal muscle is multinucleated.

These are cylindrical cells about 1mm to 4cm long in short muscle and upto 30cm in sartorius muscle. They vary in diameter from 0.01mm to 0.1mm or more. 


A. An entire skeletal muscle enclosed within a dense connective tissue layer called epimysium

B. Each fascicle of muscle fibers is enclosed within a thin septa of C.T. called perimysium

C. Individual muscle fibers is surrounded by a more delicate C.T. called endomysium.

Myofibrils:

Each muscle fiber has bundles of thread-like contractile fibrils called myofibrils, made of actin and myosin myofilaments, which are actually protein molecules.

Myofilaments:
Each myofibril is again composed of bundles of needle-like thin and thick myofilaments which are actually protein molecules.
Actin filaments - Long and thin
Myosin filaments - Short and thick

Sarcoplasm
The cytoplasm of muscle cells is called sarcoplasm.

Sarcolemma
The covering of muscle cells is the sarcolemma/plasmalemma/cell membrane.

Endomysium
The more delicate connective tissue composed of a basal lamina surrounding each muscle fiber is called the endomysium.

Perimysium
The thin septa of  connective tissue surrounding each bundles of fiber within the muscle is called the perimysium.

Epimysium
The masses of muscle fibers are arranged in regular bundles surrounded by an external sheath of dense connective tissue called the epimysium.

Fascia:

·     A connective tissue membrane composed of bundles of white fibrous tissue, separating muscles from each other and binding them into position are called fascia.

·      A more loosely packed layer next to the skin is the superficial fascia.

·      It also unites the skin with underlying tissue, permitting the free movement of the skin.

·    A definite layer covering(investing) the groups of muscles and sending intermuscular septa is the deep fascia.

Aponeurosis:

·   A flat fibrous sheet of connective tissue that serves to attach muscle to muscle or other tissues. Sometimes, it may serves as a fascia.


·     When fascia gives origin or insertion to muscle, it may appear as a thickened sheet.

·    An specially thick sheet of connective tissue acting in that capacity is called an aponeurosis.



Tendon:

  • A thick sheet of connective tissue composed of bundles of white fibers arranged in            dense manner.
  • It serves to attach the end of a muscle to the bone.

Ligament:

·    Ligaments are strong bands or membranes usually composed of white fibrous tissue which bind the bones together.

  • They are pliable but practically inelastic. In few cases, however, eg; nuchal ligament, they are composed of elastic tissue.




Types of muscular tissue
There are three basic types of muscular tissue on the basis of structural and functional       characteristics:
  •  Skeletal muscle - Voluntary, Striated
  •  Smooth muscle - Involuntary, non-striated
  •  Cardiac muscle - Involuntary, striated

Skeletal muscle:

It consists of bundles of very long, cylindrical, multinucleated cells. Their contraction process is quick, forceful and usually under voluntary control.

Smooth muscle:

It consists of masses of spindle-shaped cells in the wall of visceral organs and blood vessels. Their contraction process is slow, involuntary.

Cardiac muscle:

It consists of elongated, branched individual cells arranged in irregular masses. Their contraction process is vigorous and rhythmic.


Types of skeletal muscle fibers





According to the direction of muscle fibers, it is of four types, namely;

1.      Parallel muscles

The muscle fibers are arranged parallel to the line of pull. The fibers are long, but their numbers are relatively few.

Subtypes of parallel muscles;

a.      Strap- eg; sartorius, sternohyoid etc.

b.     Strap with tendinous intersection- eg; rectus abdominis etc.

c.      Quadrilateral- eg; quadratus lumborum, quadratus femoris etc.

d.     Fusiform- eg; biceps brachii, digastricus etc.

 

2.      Oblique muscles

In this type of muscles, the muscle fibers are oblique to the line of pull.

Subtypes of oblique muscles;

a.      Pennate

Muscle fibers are shorter, but more in number, having feather like appearance. The fleshy fibers are arranged obliquely in the long axis of the muscle and in the direction of the muscle pull.

Subtypes of pennate muscles;

                                            i.    



Unipennate- all fleshy fibers slope into one side of the tendon, which is formed along one margin of the muscle. This gives the appearance of half of feather. Eg; extensor digitorum longus, peroneus tertius etc.

                                         ii.     Bipennate- the tendon is formed in the central axis of the muscle and the muscle fibers slope into the two sides of the central tendon, like a whole feather. Eg; rectus femoris etc.

                                       iii.     Multipennate- looks like many feathers, where a series of bipennate muscles are arranged in side by side having a tendon centrally which extends from its insertion to its origin. Eg; deltoid, sub-scapularis etc.

b.     Triangular

Muscle fibers converge on an apical tendon, i.e. originated from the base and inserted into the apex which is triangular in shape. Eg; temporalis, adductor longus etc.

3.      Spiral muscle

In this muscles, the fibers are twisted in arrangements close to their insertion. Eg; latissimus dorsi, trapezius, pectoralis etc.

4.      Cruciate muscle

In this type, the muscle fibers are arranged in superficial and deep planes crossing like X. eg; masseter, adductus magnus etc. 







What do you mean by origin and insertion of a muscle ?

Origin- generally proximal, fleshy, fixed end is called origin.

      Insertion- The distal fibrous narrow or flat movable end is called insertion.



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