This system is really two systems combined: Muscular System and Skeletal System

Muscular System

Function of Muscular System:

1. To provide movement for the body

   • Anything that moves is because muscles are associated with it.

     • Blood moves because your heart (cardiac muscle) beats.

     • Food moves because smooth muscle tissue causes the digestive system to go through peristalsis.

     • Your body moves because skeletal muscles pull on the bones causing you to move.

Levels of Organization of the Muscular System

System- Muscular System

Organ- Muscles

Tissue (See Pictures Below)-

• Cardiac Muscle Tissue - main tissue type of the heart (involuntary)

• Smooth Muscle Tissue - causes movement associated with most other organs of the body. Ex: stomach, arteries, ureters (involuntary)

• Skeletal Muscle Tissue- attaches to bones with tendons and provides the force to move the bones (voluntary)

• Tendons- (connective tissue)-attaches skeletal muscle to bones for voluntary movement such as walking, talking, writing, etc.

Cells- You will not need to know any specific cell names for this system.

Skeletal System

Function of Skeletal System:

1. Provide shape and support

2. Produce blood in the bone marrow

3. Protect internal organs (rib cage protects heart/lungs; skull protects brain; spine protects spinal cord)

4. Provide attachment site for muscles (tendons help attach skeletal muscles to bone)

5. Store minerals (ex. Calcium) to be released into blood when needed by the body

Levels of Organization of the Skeletal System

System- Skeletal System

Organ- Bones

• **Note**- any place where two bones meet is called a JOINT (this is not a separate organ, but it is a vocabulary word you need to know). Joints allow for movement of the bones.

Tissue (Mostly connective tissues) (See Pictures Below)-

• Cartilage-slippery connective tissue at the ends of bones that allows them to glide past one another at joints without scraping

• Ligament-attaches bone to bone at a joint (any place where two bones meet)

• Bone Marrow-connective tissue that produces blood.

• Tendons-connective tissue that attaches skeletal muscle to bones for voluntary movement such as walking, talking, writing, etc.

Cells- You will not need to know any specific cell names for this system.