Musculature: Structure, Function & Diseases

In his lifetime, the muscle mass of a person increases 30 times. This is proof of how important this organ system is for the human body. What is the muscular system? How is it structured and what function does it perform? What diseases and ailments should we expect with regard to the musculature?

What is the muscular system?

Muscles are organs that move the organism – in this case human – with the help of tension and relaxation. These are movements that involve active locomotion, on the one hand, and systems of internal body functions, on the other. For example, we use muscle power to move our legs when we walk, and the heart also pumps blood through the entire organism thanks to muscle power. Incidentally, the name musculature comes from the Latin word “musculus”, which means “little mouse” and comes from the fact that a tense muscle under the skin resembles a mouse.

Anatomy and structure

Muscle is composed of muscle tissue, which in turn is composed of muscle cells or muscle fibers. Surrounding the muscle is the fascia. It is an elastic sheath of connective tissue and shoots around several flesh fibers. Each of these is also held together by connective tissue, which is interwoven with nerves and blood vessels. A meat fiber in turn divides into fiber bundles. These bundles are supported in such a way that they can be moved to make the muscle flexible. Even the fiber bundles do not form the smallest unit, because they consist of individual muscle fibers. Muscle fibers are not capable of division. This means that they cannot grow back if there is a loss. Thus, the number of muscle fibers is fixed from birth; when muscle is built up, the individual fibers merely become thicker.

Functions and tasks

A human being has 656 muscles. The extent to which they affect body mass depends on the individual’s lifestyle. In men, the muscle percentage is 37% to 57% in women around 27% to 43%. When the muscle becomes active, it first tenses and then relaxes. In this way, it exerts a movement or releases a force. This contraction is triggered by electrical impulses that the brain or spinal cord transmits to the nerves. Some muscles are referred to as agonists and antagonists, i.e. players and opponents that act in opposite ways to each other. An example of this would be the biceps and triceps. Synergists, on the other hand, are muscles that work together in certain movements. Furthermore, the muscle function knows adductors, which are muscles that are needed to pull something towards the body. Abductors, on the other hand, we need when we make straddling movements, for example.

Diseases

There are numerous problems and diseases that can occur in connection with the muscles. Everyone knows the muscle soreness after high load of certain muscle parts, and also muscle cramps, caused by magnesium deficiency, are a phenomenon with which especially athletes often have to “fight”. In addition to these rather harmless phenomena, injuries such as muscle strains or torn muscle fibers also occur. In the case of a strain, unlike a fiber tear, there is no tissue damage. It is often sufficient to rest and cool the affected area. However, if the symptoms are ignored, a muscle fiber tear can also occur. In this case, surgical intervention is often necessary, especially for athletes. Muscle stiffness and muscle bruises are also typical injuries caused by incorrect or excessive strain or by falls. In addition to muscle diseases caused by external influences, there are also those with genetic or neurological causes. Progressive muscle atrophy, for example, is often caused by a genetic defect. Muscle weakness, on the other hand, is a neurological disease in which the signal transmission between nerve and muscle is disturbed. Especially if you suffer from muscle problems that are not due to harmless phenomena such as sore muscles or a slight bruise, you should always seek the advice of a doctor.

Typical and common conditions

  • Muscle fiber tear
  • Muscle weakness
  • Compartment syndrome
  • Muscle inflammation (myositis)
  • Muscular atrophy (muscular dystrophy)