LOCATION: Are found primarily in the digestive tract (esophagus, small and large intestine) urinary tract (ureter, bladder), reproductive system (uterus, vaginal walls) and endocrine system (ducts).
CHARACTERISTICS: It is typically non-striated, uni-nucleated, and involuntary or reflexive muscle7.
FUNCTION: It contracts to move substances through the organ, according to The Merck Manual. Because visceral muscle is controlled by the unconscious part of the brain, it is known as involuntary muscle, as it cannot be controlled by the conscious mind6.
LOCATION: Most of them are found attached to bones, by bundles of collagen fibers called tendons9.
CHARACTERISTICS: Its cells are long multi-nucleated cylinders, they are voluntary, striated, not branched, and multinucleated.
FUNCTION: They support and move the body by contracting and relaxing, also it helps with the nutrients and temperature regulation8.
SKELETAL MUSCLE
CARDIAC MUSCLE
LOCATION: It is the muscle found in the heart10
CHARACTERISTICS: They are involuntary and intrinsically controlled, striated, branched, and single nucleated muscle11..
FUNCTION: Works to keep your heart pumping through involuntary movements10
7
Organs involved
10BIOL 237 Class Notes - Muscle Structure. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2020, from http://www.unm.edu/%7Ejimmy/muscle1_notes.html
11Seladi-Schulman, J., PhD. (2018, April 4). How Is Cardiac Muscle Tissue Different from Other Muscle Tissues? Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/cardiac-muscle-tissue
Visceral Muscle
6Zimmermann, K. A. (2016, March 12). Muscular System: Facts, Functions & Diseases. Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://www.livescience.com/26854-muscular-system-facts-functions-diseases.html
7What are the characteristic of smooth muscle? | Socratic. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://socratic.org/questions/what-are-the-characteristic-of-smooth-muscle
8Major Skeletal Muscle Functions Video. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/major-skeletal-muscle-functions.html8
9Where is the skeletal muscle located? | Socratic. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://socratic.org/questions/where-is-the-skeletal-muscle-located