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BIO 304 · Human Anatomy & Physiology

Muscle & Nervous Tissue Overview

Tissues · Module 3

A reference for the Muscle & Nervous Tissue video. Muscle contracts to do work; nervous tissue carries fast signals. Both are excitable, but their cells look nothing alike.

How to use this sheet Toggle the toolbar above. Notes prints the full reference for review. Study prints as a fill-in-the-blank worksheet , print it, then write each definition while you watch the video or read your book. Quiz me is on-screen typing practice; type the term, click Reveal to check yourself.

Open spaced recall

By the end
  1. Compare the three muscle tissue types by appearance, location, and voluntary control.
  2. Identify the major parts of a neuron and the role of each part in signal flow.
  3. Name the four types of CNS neuroglia and the two types of PNS neuroglia with one job for each.
Anterior view of the body and face labeled with upper-body regions: cranial, frontal, orbital, nasal, buccal, oris, mental, cervical, acromial, deltoid, axillary, brachial, antecubital, antebrachial, carpal, digital, mammary, sternal, abdominal, umbilical.
Anterior · upper body & face
Anterior view of the body labeled with lower-body regions: pelvic, inguinal, pubic, coxal, pollex, femoral, patellar, fibular, crural, tarsal, plantar, digital toes, and hallux.
Anterior · lower body
Posterior view labeled occipital, cervical, scapular, vertebral, lumbar, sacral, glu#0B1530, femoral, popli#0B1530, sural, tarsal, calcaneal; lateral head view labeled otic, buccal, occipital, cervical.
Posterior & lateral head

Click any image to enlarge.


Muscle Tissue

Skeletal muscle

  • Striatedvisible bands from organized sarcomeres
  • Multinucleatelong fibers fused from many myoblasts
  • Voluntarysomatic motor neuron control
  • Whereattaches to bone; moves the skeleton

Cardiac muscle

  • Striatedshares sarcomere structure with skeletal
  • One central nucleusshort branching cells
  • Intercalated discscell-to-cell junctions with gap junctions for electrical coupling
  • Involuntaryautorhythmic; ANS modulates rate
  • Whereheart wall only

Smooth muscle

  • Not striatedno sarcomeres; spindle-shaped cells
  • One central nucleussmall cells, single nucleus
  • InvoluntaryANS, hormones, stretch
  • Wherewalls of hollow organs and vessels

Nervous Tissue

Neuron parts

  • Dendritesbranching receivers; bring signal toward soma
  • Soma (cell body)nucleus + most organelles; integration point
  • Axonsends signal away from soma; can be very long
  • Axon terminalreleases neurotransmitter at the synapse
  • Myelin sheathfatty insulation on axon; speeds conduction
  • Nodes of Ranviergaps between myelin; site of saltatory conduction

CNS neuroglia

  • Astrocytemost numerous; blood-brain barrier, K+ buffering
  • Oligodendrocytemyelinates CNS axons (one cell wraps several)
  • MicrogliaCNS macrophages; immune surveillance
  • Ependymallines ventricles; produces and circulates CSF

PNS neuroglia

  • Schwann cellmyelinates PNS axons (one cell wraps one segment of one axon)
  • Satellite cellsurrounds cell bodies in ganglia
Dr. Sharilyn Rennie BIO 304 · Module 3 · Muscle & Nervous Tissue