What are the three types of muscle tissue?

  1. Skeletal muscle
  2. Cardiac muscle
  3. Smooth muscle (involuntary muscle)

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Where is skeletal muscle found, and how is its contraction controlled?

Skeletal muscles are attached to bones.


Skeletal muscle is neurogenic, which means that it contracts when it is stimulated by motor neuron impulses.


Skeletal muscles are responsible for body movements.

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Where is cardiac muscle found, and how is its contraction controlled?

Cardiac muscle is only found in the heart.


Cardiac muscle is myogenic so contracts automatically without nervous input.

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Where is smooth muscle found, and how is its contraction controlled?

Smooth muscle lines hollow organs like blood vessels and the intestines.


Smooth muscle is neurogenic but can also stretch in response to pressure.

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Why do skeletal muscle fibres and cardiac muscle fibres appear striated under the microscope?

Skeletal muscle fibres and cardiac muscle fibres show regular striations or stripes due to the arrangement of contractile proteins.


Smooth muscle fibres show no striations or stripes under the microscope.

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What is the structure of skeletal muscle fibres?

Skeletal muscle fibres are long, tubular and multinucleated (have multiple nuclei).


They have contractile proteins organised in parallel bundles called myofibrils.

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What is the structure of cardiac muscle fibres?

Cardiac muscle fibres are branched rather than long and tubular, and the cells are uninucleated (have one nucleus).


They have contractile proteins organised in myofibrils.


Cardiac muscle cells are joined together by a network of intercalated discs.

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What is the structure of smooth muscle fibres?

Smooth muscle fibres are spindle shaped and uninucleated.


Smooth muscle fibres do not contain myofibrils.

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