Anatomy and Physiology / Unit 2: Cells and Tissues
2.5 Muscle and Nervous Tissue
Notes
- Skeletal muscle: long, striated, multinucleate cells; voluntary; attached to bones.
- Cardiac muscle: striated, branching cells with one nucleus, joined at intercalated discs; involuntary; found only in the heart.
- Smooth muscle: non-striated, spindle-shaped cells with one nucleus; involuntary; walls of hollow organs and vessels.
- Nervous tissue has neurons (transmit electrical signals) and neuroglia (support, protect and nourish neurons). It forms the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
- Example: the muscle that moves food through the intestine is smooth muscle and cannot be controlled consciously.
Practice
Which muscle tissue is striated, involuntary and has intercalated discs?
Intercalated discs link cardiac muscle cells and let electrical signals pass quickly.
The muscle in the wall of the stomach is controlled involuntarily and has non-striated spindle-shaped cells. It is:
These are the features of smooth muscle.
Which cells in nervous tissue support and protect neurons rather than conduct signals?
Neuroglia (glial cells) support, insulate and nourish neurons.
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