skeletal muscle
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of muscle tissue: Skeletal muscle is a voluntary muscle that is typically attached to one or more bones by tendons. Its primary function is to produce movement of the skeleton. It is characterized by a striped or striated appearance under a microscope due to the arrangement of its contractile proteins.
Usage
- Skeletal muscle is under conscious control, meaning you decide to contract it (e.g., to walk, talk, or lift an object).
- It is often contrasted with smooth muscle (involuntary, found in organs) and cardiac muscle (involuntary, found only in the heart).
- The term describes the tissue type itself, not a specific named muscle (e.g., biceps).
Examples
- Noun:
- Weight training helps to build and strengthen skeletal muscle.
- The biceps brachii is an example of a skeletal muscle.
- Under the microscope, the skeletal muscle showed distinct transverse stripes.
Advanced Usage
- "Skeletal muscle mass": Refers to the total amount of skeletal muscle tissue in the body.
- Athletes typically have a higher skeletal muscle mass than non-athletes.
- "Skeletal muscle fiber": Refers to an individual, elongated cell that makes up skeletal muscle tissue.
- There are different types of skeletal muscle fibers, some specialized for endurance and others for power.
Variants and Related Words
- Striated muscle (noun): A direct synonym for skeletal muscle, referring to its microscopic striped appearance. Cardiac muscle is also striated but is not voluntary.
- Voluntary muscle (noun): Another synonym emphasizing that its contraction is consciously controlled.
- Musculus (noun): The Latin-derived formal term often used in anatomical names (e.g., ).
Synonyms
- Striated muscle
- Voluntary muscle
Related Phrases
- Skeletal muscle contraction: The process by which skeletal muscle generates force and shortens.
- The signal for skeletal muscle contraction originates in the brain.
- Skeletal muscle system: Refers to all the skeletal muscles of the body collectively as an organ system.
- The skeletal muscle system works with the skeletal system to enable movement.
Noun
- a muscle that is connected at either or both ends to a bone and so move parts of the skeleton; a muscle that is characterized by transverse stripes