Skeletal voluntary muscle that attaches to and moves the skeleton.
The skeletal muscles.
A type of muscle found in skeletal muscles whose movements are controlled by the central nervous system.
One of three major types of muscle (the other two are smooth muscle and cardiac muscle); it makes up the major part of the body’s musculature and is called skeletal muscle because it is attached to the skeleton and voluntary muscle because it is under voluntary control. Striated muscle is composed of parallel, multinuclear fibers, each made of numerous myofibrils that have striations due to the position of actin and myosin protein filaments. When a muscle contracts, the two sets of filaments slide past each other, reducing the length of the fibril.
Narrowing of any tubular structure (e.g., esophagus, ureter) caused by inflammation, a tumor, pressure from an adjacent organ, or muscle spasm.
Skeletal and cardiac muscles showing bands of color when examined under the microscope.
A tissue comprising the bulk of the body’s musculature. It is also known as skeletal muscle, because it is attached to the skeleton and is responsible for the movement of bones, and voluntary muscle, because it is under voluntary control. Striated muscle is composed of parallel bundles of multinucleate fibers (each containing many myofibrils), which reveal cross-banding when viewed under the microscope. This effect is due to the alternation of actin and myosin protein filaments within each myofibril. When muscle contraction takes place, the two sets of filaments slide past each other, so reducing the length of each unit (sarcomere) of the myofibril. The sliding is caused by a series of cyclic reactions resulting in a change in orientation of projections on the myosin filaments; each projection is first attached to an actin filament but contracts and releases it to become reattached at a different site.
Muscles that are attached to the bones and that are voluntary or are consciously controlled.