smooth muscle
Gut wall fiber
Smooth muscle is the type of muscle tissue found in internal organs—the stomach, intestines, blood vessels, bladder, and uterus.
Unlike skeletal muscle, which moves bones and responds to conscious control, smooth muscle contracts involuntarily, regulated by the autonomic nervous system.
Its cells lack the striped appearance of skeletal and cardiac muscle, hence "smooth."
Involuntary digestive muscle waves
- motilitySelf-generated movement capacity
- vasoconstrictionArterial walls contracting inward
- vasodilationRelaxation of vessel walls
- micturitionMedical term for peeing
parturition · pupil dilation · blood pressure · digestion · respiration · urination · ejaculation · childbirth
Self-regulating without awareness
- involuntaryNot under conscious control
- sympatheticFeeling others' emotions
- parasympatheticNerve system promoting rest
- acetylcholineNeurotransmitter for muscles and memory
norepinephrine · nitric oxide · neurogenic · hormonal · histamine · serotonin · prostaglandins · vasoconstriction
Threadlike structural strands
- spindle-shapedElongated with tapered extremities
- wallsVertical enclosing structures
- blood vesselsTubes carrying circulating fluid
- arteriesTubes carrying oxygenated blood
veins · gastrointestinal tract · bronchi · urogenital · sphincter · iris · endothelium · viscera
Cellular contractile protein
- myosinMotor protein enabling contraction
- calciumElement twenty, builds bones
- phosphorylationPhosphate group attachment process
- tonusBaseline muscle tension
Involuntary muscle contraction
- asthmaChronic lung inflammation
- hypertensionChronic elevated arterial pressure
- atherosclerosisArterial plaque accumulation disease
- hyperplasiaExcessive cell multiplication
hypertrophy · irritable bowel · achalasia · vasospasm · bronchospasm · preterm labor · erectile dysfunction
peristalsis
Involuntary digestive muscle waves
- motilitySelf-generated movement capacity
- vasoconstrictionArterial walls contracting inward
- vasodilationRelaxation of vessel walls
micturition · parturition · pupil dilation · blood pressure · digestion · respiration · urination · ejaculation · childbirth · accommodation
autonomic
Self-regulating without awareness
- involuntaryNot under conscious control
- sympatheticFeeling others' emotions
- parasympatheticNerve system promoting rest
acetylcholine · norepinephrine · nitric oxide · neurogenic · hormonal · histamine · serotonin · prostaglandins · vasoconstriction · vasodilation
fibers
Threadlike structural strands
- spindle-shapedElongated with tapered extremities
- wallsVertical enclosing structures
- blood vesselsTubes carrying circulating fluid
arteries · veins · gastrointestinal tract · bronchi · urogenital · sphincter · iris · endothelium · viscera · muscularis
actin
Cellular contractile protein
- myosinMotor protein enabling contraction
- calciumElement twenty, builds bones
- phosphorylationPhosphate group attachment process
spasm
Involuntary muscle contraction
- asthmaChronic lung inflammation
- hypertensionChronic elevated arterial pressure
- atherosclerosisArterial plaque accumulation disease
hyperplasia · hypertrophy · irritable bowel · achalasia · vasospasm · bronchospasm · preterm labor · erectile dysfunction
- excitable cellsneurons, nerve cells, motor neurons, sensory neurons, interneurons
- musculoskeletalbone, bones, muscles, joint, joints
- muscle systembiceps, triceps, deltoid, deltoids, quadriceps
- musclesbiceps, triceps, abs, hamstrings, quads
- tissuesadipose, neural tissue, cardiac tissue, fibrous tissue, bone
- body tissuestissue, connective tissue, bone, cartilage, fat
smooth, muscle, smoothly, muscular, smoothed, smoothness, smoothing, smooths, muscled