Muscle Structure and Types
Muscle fibers are long, slender cells that form the building blocks of muscles. They're wrapped in fascia, flexible connective tissue that envelops, separates, or binds together muscles while allowing movement. When muscles need to attach to bones, they use tendons—narrow bands of non-elastic, dense fibrous connective tissue.
Your body contains three distinct types of muscles. Skeletal muscles attach to bones, allow voluntary movement, and appear striated (striped) under a microscope. Smooth muscles (also called visceral muscles) line the walls of internal organs, controlling the flow of substances through them involuntarily. The myocardial muscle forms the walls of your heart, contracting and relaxing constantly without conscious control.
Each muscle type serves specific functions in your body. Skeletal muscles let you consciously control movements like walking or writing, while smooth and cardiac muscles work automatically to keep your internal processes functioning.
Remember This: While you can consciously control your skeletal muscles, your smooth and cardiac muscles work automatically—imagine having to remember to keep your heart beating!