Muscle Tissue Types: Skeletal, Smooth, and Cardiac – Structure and Control
| Feature | Skeletal Muscle | Smooth Muscle | Cardiac Muscle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Attached to bones | Walls of hollow viscera (GI, vessels, uterus, bladder) | Heart (myocardium) |
| Control | Voluntary (somatic nervous system) | Involuntary (autonomic, hormonal, local) | Involuntary (autonomic, intrinsic conduction) |
| Striations | Yes (striated) | No (non-striated) | Yes (striated) |
| Nuclei | Multinucleated (peripheral) | Single, central | Single (usually), central |
| Cell Shape | Long, cylindrical fibers | Spindle-shaped | Branching, interconnected |
| Junctions | Neuromuscular junctions | Gap junctions (syncytial) | Intercalated discs (gap junctions + desmosomes) |
| Contraction Speed | Fast to slow (fiber types) | Slow, sustained | Rhythmic, autorhythmic (pacemaker) |
| Fatigue Resistance | Variable | High | Very high (mitochondria-rich) |
All three are essential: skeletal for locomotion, smooth for visceral tone/motility, cardiac for circulation.
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