Introduction

Muscle makes up one of the four basic tissue types.

By following this topic, you should find out about the three major types of muscle, how the contractile filaments are arranged in these muscles, how the muscles are stimulated, and how they are connected to bone.

Objectives

After finishing this section you should know how to:

1. Identify the three types of muscle, and summarise the main similarities and differences between them.
2. Describe the ultrastructural appearance of striated muscle and explain how this is related to its function.
3. Explain how muscles are stimulated to contract.
4. Describe the types of cell junctions that exist in some muscles but not others.
5. Describe how muscles can regenerate.