Muscle
hideMuscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse") is the contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to produce force and cause motion. Muscles can cause either locomotion of the organism itself or movement of internal organs. Cardiac and smooth muscle contraction occurs without conscious thought and is necessary for survival. Examples are the contraction of the heart and peristalsis which pushes food through the digestive system. Voluntary contraction of the skeletal muscles is used to move the body and can be finely controlled. Examples are movements of the eye, or gross movements like the quadriceps muscle of the thigh. There are two broad types of voluntary muscle fibers: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch fibers contract for long periods of time but with little force while fast twitch fibers contract quickly and powerfully but fatigue very rapidly.
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News tagged with muscle cells
Protein could prevent blocked arteries
Dec 09, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, researchers have found that a modified form of a naturally occurring protein, N-cadherin, could prevent blocked arteries. Blocked arteries are a major cause of heart attacks ...
Muscular dystrophy mystery solved; scientists move closer to MD solution
Feb 26, 2009 |
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Muscular dystrophy, which affects approximately 250,000 people in the United States, occurs when damaged muscle tissue is replaced with fibrous, bony or fatty tissue and loses function. While scientists have identified one ...
Sarcospan, a little protein for a big problem
Biology /
Nov 03, 2008 |
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The overlooked and undervalued protein, sarcospan, just got its moment in the spotlight. Peter et al. now show that adding it to muscle cells might ameliorate the most severe form of muscular dystrophy.
Two cardiovascular proteins pose a double whammy in Alzheimer's
Biology /
Dec 21, 2008 |
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Researchers have found that two proteins which work in tandem in the brain's blood vessels present a double whammy in Alzheimer's disease. Not only do the proteins lessen blood flow in the brain, but they also reduce the ...
Heart attacks: The tipping point
Apr 27, 2009 |
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Twenty percent of American deaths each year are caused by heart attack or angina, sometimes without any warning.
High blood pressure takes big toll on small filtering units of the kidney
Sep 19, 2008 |
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Take a kidney out of the body and it still knows how to filter toxins from the blood. But all bets are off in the face of high blood pressure.
Aspirin and similar drugs may be associated with brain microbleeds in older adults
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Apr 13, 2009 |
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Individuals who take aspirin or other medications that prevent blood clotting by inhibiting the accumulation of platelets appear more likely to have tiny, asymptomatic areas of bleeding in the brain, according to a report ...
Tension in axons is essential for synaptic signaling, researchers report
Jul 20, 2009 |
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Every time a neuron sends a signal - to move a muscle or form a memory, for example - tiny membrane-bound compartments, called vesicles, dump neurotransmitters into the synapse between the cells. Researchers ...
Detached gecko tails dance to their own tune
Sep 09, 2009 |
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Geckos and other lizards have long been known for their incredible ability to shed their tails as a decoy for predators, but little is known about the movements and what controls the tail once it separates ...
Scientists create energy-burning brown fat in mice
Jul 29, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that they can engineer mouse and human cells to produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. If ...
Human cardiac master stem cells identified
Jul 01, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified the earliest master human heart stem cell from human embryonic stem cells - ISL1+ progenitors - that ...
Muscle cell infusion shown to strengthen sphincters in animals
Dec 04, 2009 |
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A new study shows that muscle cells grown in the lab can restore an intestine's ability to squeeze shut properly. The work, performed in dogs and rats, might ultimately help treat patients with conditions such as gastric ...
Investigating muscle repair, scientists follow their noses
Nov 16, 2009 |
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When muscle cells need repair, they use odor-detecting tools found in the nose to start the process, researchers have discovered.
Stanford scientists turn adult skin cells into muscle and vice versa
Apr 30, 2009 |
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In a study featured on the cover of the May issue of The FASEB Journal, researchers describe how they are able to reprogram human adult skin cells into other cell types in order to decipher the elusive mechanisms underlying reprog ...
Research shows safe dosages of common pain reliever may help prevent conditions related to aging
Sep 23, 2009 |
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Recent studies conducted by Dr. Eric Blough and his colleagues at Marshall University have shown that use of the common pain reliever acetaminophen may help prevent age-associated muscle loss and other conditions.
