For body workers the muscular system is probably the most important to learn and understand. We focus on our anatomy and physiology course on the origins and insertions and actions of over forty muscles, to ensure body workers work safely and effectively with the clients. See our specialist unit on that subject. This is particularly true for sports massage therapists who are dealing with injuries. So what do you know about the muscular system?
1) Describe the structure of voluntary, involuntary and cardiac muscle fibres
under the microscope by referring to the shape of the cells, the number of nuclei
per cell, and any other distinguishing features.
Muscle type
Shape of cells
Nuclei per cell
Other features
Voluntary
Involuntary
Cardiac
2) Fill in the gaps using words from the list below to describe the structure of skeletal muscle and its’ the attachment to bone
aponeuroses, endomysium, epimysium, fasciculi, perimysium, tendon
Each muscle fibre has an individual wrapping sheath of fine connective tissue, __________, making it like a very long thin sausage. A group of these muscle fibres are further wrapped together in bundles covered by connective tissue known as __________. Theses bundles are now known as __________, and many of them are gathered to from the muscle belly with its own outer sheath or the fascia, known as the ___________________.
Where the outer connective sheath of muscle, or fascia, extends at each end in the form of a cord of tissue, and attaches to the bone, it is called a _____________
Flat sheets of connective tissue, which attach muscles along the length of the bone, are known as _____________________.
3) Using the words myofibrils, microfilaments, actin, myosin and a simple labelled diagram if it helps, explain how a muscle fibre can shorten in length using the sliding filament theory.
4) Underline the correct answer on muscle action
The action of the biceps femoris is to:
flex the hip, extend the knee
abduct the leg
extend the hip, flex the knee
flex the arm
The action of the pectoralis major is to :
draw arm backwards, adduct and rotate medially
draw arm forwards and rotate it laterally
draw arm forwards, adduct and rotate medially
draw shoulder forward, rotate scapula
5) Correctly identify the action for the following muscles
Muscle
Action
Iliacus
Levator scapulae
Serratus anterior
Temporalis
Tibialis anterior
"I've already started the anatomy and physiology course and think its absolutely brilliant - why didn't they teach us like this at school!"
- Julie Perkins -
GM Tree Training Ltd
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Frome
Somerset BA11 2LG
United Kingdom
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