1. Name and describe the four special functional characteristics of muscle that are the basis for muscle response.
The four special functional characteristics of muscle that are the basis for muscle response are contractility, excitability, extensibility, and elasticity (Muscle, 2004). Contractility allows a muscle to shorten with force, to lengthen passively, and to move. Excitability allows a muscle to respond to a stimulus, and to maintain chemical potentials across its cell membranes. Extensibility allows a muscle to be stretched, repeatedly and considerably, as needed, without being damaged. Elasticity allows a muscle to return to its normal length after being stretched or shortened.
2. Distinguish between (a) direct and indirect muscle attachments, and (b) a tendon and an aponeurosis.
Every one of the body's muscles is attached to bone or other connective tissue structures at a minimum of two points, and the point where the muscle is attached to an immovable bone is called the origin, and the point where it is attached to a moveable bone or tissue is called the insertion (Skeletal, 2004). When a muscle contracts, the moveable bone or tissue always moves towards the immovable bone, i.e. the insertion moves towards the origin.
Muscles attach to bones directly by extensions of the muscle fascia if the attachments are broad, such as in the diaphragm and the scapulae (Skeletal, 2004). Other muscles attach indirectly to bones through tendons, which are fibrous cords devoid of elasticity (Gray, 1918). They are made up almost entirely of white fibrous tissue, composed of collagen, which is an anhydride of gelatin. Tendons have a sparse blood supply, and nerves supplying the tendons have specialized terminal fibers called organs of Golgi. The tendon is subdivided into fascicles by endotendineum, which is a connective tissue extension of the epitendineum (Ross, Romrell and Kaye, 1995, 95-95). It holds the blo...