study guide

Muscular System

• Main functions: movement of skeleton, movement of vessels, and movement of internal organs

Types of Muscle Tissue

Cardiac Muscle

• Location: walls of the heart
• Description: striated, involuntary, branched fibers
• Function: generates and conducts electrical impulses, enabling heart contractions

Skeletal Muscle

• Location: attached to the skeleton
• Description: long, cylindrical, striated, multinucleated fibers; voluntary control
• Function: moves the skeleton through voluntary contraction

Smooth Muscle

• Location: walls of hollow organs (e.g., stomach, blood vessels, bladder, uterus)
• Description: non-striated, involuntary, with tapered edges
• Function: moves involuntarily, contracting and relaxing slowly, maintaining prolonged contraction for functions like vasoconstriction and vasodilation

Muscles

• Orbicularis Oris: surrounds the lips
• Orbicularis Oculi: surrounds the eye
• Sternocleidomastoid (SCM): neck muscle connecting the sternum, clavicle, and mastoid process of the temporal bone
• Trapezius: upper back and neck
• Serratus Anterior: lateral aspect of the thorax
• Pectoralis Major: chest region
• Latissimus Dorsi: lower and middle back
• Deltoid: shoulder joint
• Biceps Brachii: front of the upper arm
• Triceps Brachii: back of the upper arm
• Flexor Carpi Muscles: anterior compartment of the forearm
• Extensor Carpi Muscles: posterior compartment of the forearm
• Rectus Abdominis: anterior abdominal wall
• External Oblique: lateral abdominal wall
• Gluteus Maximus: buttocks
• Hamstring Muscles: back of the thigh
• Adductor Muscles: medial side of the thigh
• Tibialis Anterior: front part of the lower leg
• Gastrocnemius: back of the lower leg
• Temporalis: side of the head (over the temples)

Skeletal System

• Functions: serves as a framework for the body, protects the brain, spinal cord, and other structures, works with muscles to produce movement, stores calcium, and produces blood cells
• Types of Joints:

Fibrous Joints

• Examples: sutures in the skull

Cartilaginous Joints

• Examples: intervertebral discs

Synovial Joints

• Examples:
  • Gliding Joint: intercarpal joints
  • Hinge Joint: elbow
  • Pivot Joint: atlantoaxial joint (between C1 and C2 vertebrae)
  • Condyloid Joint: wrist joint
  • Saddle Joint: thumb (carpometacarpal joint)
  • Ball-and-Socket Joint: shoulder, hip

Bones

• Skull: cranium and facial bones
• Mandible: lower jawbone
• Clavicle: collarbone
• Scapula: shoulder blade
• Sternum: breastbone
• Ribs: protect the thoracic cavity
• Humerus: upper arm bone
• Radius: lateral bone of the forearm
• Ulna: medial bone of the forearm
• Carpals: wrist bones
• Metacarpals: bones of the hand
• Phalanges: finger and toe bones
• Vertebrae: bones of the spine
• Pelvis: hip bones
• Femur: thigh bone
• Patella: kneecap
• Tibia: medial bone of the lower leg
• Fibula: lateral bone of the lower leg
• Tarsals: ankle bones
• Metatarsals: bones of the foot
• Sacrum: base of the spine, part of the pelvis
• Coccyx: tailbone
• Ilium: part of the pelvis
• Ischium: lower part of the pelvis
• Pubis: anterior part of the pelvis

Career Profiles

Physical Therapist (PT) & Assistant (PTA)

• Responsibilities: evaluate physical conditions, develop and implement treatment plans, use exercises, manual therapy, and equipment, educate patients on managing conditions and preventing injuries

Occupational Therapist (OT) & Assistant (OTA)

• Responsibilities: help patients develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills, assess needs, develop customized treatment plans, use therapeutic activities, provide guidance on adaptive equipment and modifications

Respiratory Therapist

• Responsibilities: assess and treat patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders, perform diagnostic tests, administer treatments, educate patients on managing respiratory conditions

Chiropractor

• Responsibilities: diagnose and treat musculoskeletal issues, provide therapy for back pain, neck pain, and other joint problems, advise on lifestyle, exercise, and nutrition

Dietitian & Nutritionist

• Responsibilities: assess nutritional needs, develop personalized diet plans, educate on healthy eating habits, manage nutrition therapy for specific health conditions, conduct research on nutrition and health