Muscles form the muscular system which is the network of fibers and tissues and causes the movements of body. There is not an exact number for the muscles. It depends on the expert’s opinion, some are complex muscles in which a branch of muscle is also considered as separate muscle. There is also very slight difference in muscular structure from person to person. Like some people do not have palmaris longus muscle found in the wrist on the “anterior†aspect.
These all factors cause the variation in number of muscles but we can say that human body has six hundred and fifty six to eight hundred fifty muscles. The muscles can be divided into three categories:-
1) skeletal muscles
2) smooth muscles
3) cardiac muscles
SKELETAL MUSCLES
They are approximately three hundred in number. They are also known as striated muscle or voluntary muscles. These muscles are under our conscious control or in other words we can say that whenever we want a particular muscle to move it will move only then. These muscles are made up of striped or striated fibrils that are dark and light bands. Skeletal muscles are hurt when we get any injury during physical work.
SMOOTH MUSCLES
These are also called visceral or involuntary muscles. These muscles are not in direct control of our body. They are controlled by autonomic nervous system. These muscles are for the body organs found in the walls of stomach and intestine, veins and arteries. They do not work under the conscious effort. These are not made up of striped or striated fibrils as in the skeletal muscles. Smooth muscles blend with each other in such a way that one muscle cannot be easily distinguished from the other. We cannot easily recognize that where one stops and the other one begins. That is the reason why they are called smooth muscles.
CARDIAC MUSCLES
Muscles of heart are known as the cardiac muscles. They appear same as the skeletal muscles but they are involuntary in their work. These muscles help in the transmission of blood from the heart to the body.
The busiest muscle in our body is in the eyes that causes blinking. The largest muscle is gluteus maxiums or buttocks and the smallest is found deep within the ear and is known as stapedius.
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