Muscular Tissues:
Muscular tissue consists of elongated cells, also called muscle fibres. This tissue is responsible for movement in our body.
Contractile proteins: Muscles contain special proteins called contractile proteins, which contract and relax to cause movement.
Muscular Tissues are three types:
(i) Striated Tissue: Voluntary muscles are also called striated tissues. These muscles are also called skeletal muscles as they are mostly attached to bones and help in body movement. Under the microscope, these muscles show alternate light and dark bands or striations when stained appropriately. As a result, they are also called striated muscles.
(ii) Unstriated Tissue: Involuntary muscles are made up of unstriated tissues. They are also found in the iris of the eye, in ureters and in the bronchi of the
lungs. The cells are long with pointed ends (spindle-shaped) and uninucleate (having a single nucleus). They are also called unstriated muscles
(iii) Cardiac Tissues: The muscles of the heart show rhythmic contraction and relaxation throughout life. These involuntary muscles are called cardiac muscles which are made up of cardiac tissue. Heart muscle cells are cylindrical, branched and uninucleate.
Type of Muscles:
(i) Voluntary Muscles: We can move some muscles by conscious will. Muscles present in our limbs move when we want them to, and stop when we so decide.
Such muscles are called voluntary muscles
(ii) Involuntary Muscles: Some muscles cannot be move by concious will. These muscles are called Involuntary muscles.
(iii) Cardiac Muscles: The muscles of the heart show rhythmic contraction and relaxation throughout life. These involuntary muscles are called cardiac
muscles.
Differences among striated, unstriated and cardiac Muscles:
Striated Muscles | Unstriated Muscles | Cardiac Muscles |
The cells of this tissue are long and cylindrical. | The cells are long with pointed ends and non-cylindrical. | Cells are cylinderical with non-pointed ends. |
Cells are multinucleated. | Cells are uninucleated. | Cells are uninucleated. |
Cells are not branched. | Cells are not branched. | Cells are branched. |
striation are present. | striation or strips are absent. | Cells have faint striation. |
Location: | ||
They are found in hands, legs and other skeletal muscles. | They are found in the iris of the eye, in ureters and in the bronchi of the lungs. | They are found in heart. |