MUSCLE TISSUE is the only tissue in the body that is specialised for contraction (shortening). The body contains three types of muscle tissue: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. Each type of muscle tissue exhibits unique structural and functional characteristics. Contraction of skeletal muscle tissue produces locomotion, movement of body parts, and movement of the skin, as in making facial expressions. Cardiac muscle tissue produces the driving force responsible for pumping blood through the cardiovascular system. Smooth muscle tissue is responsible for various internal functions, such as controlling the movement of blood through blood vessels and air through respiratory passageways. It is also directly involved in vision and moving contents through hollow internal organs.
Types of Muscle Tissue
| Characteristic | Skeletal | Smooth | Cardiac |
| Striations | Present | Absent | Present |
| Nucleus | Many peripherally located nuclei | Single centrally located nucleus | Usually a single centrally located nucleus |
| Cells | Long and parallel, called fibers | Short; tapered ends; parallel | Short and branching; intercalated discs join cells end to end to form network |
| Neural control | Voluntary | Involuntary | Involuntary |
| Contractions | Fast, variable fatigability; slow, resistant to fatigue | Slow; resistant to fatigue | Rhythmic; resistant to fatigue |
| Location | Attached to bones, dermis, ligaments and other muscles | Walls of hollow visceral organs and blood and lymphatic vessels, skin, and inside eyes | Wall of the heart |
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