Muscle

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Muscle (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 strength


Reduced muscle strength associated with risk for Alzheimer's

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and declines in cognitive function over time, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Neurology.





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Study shows new brain connections form rapidly during motor learning

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created 11 hours ago | popularity 4.8 / 5 (5) | comments 0

New connections begin to form between brain cells almost immediately as animals learn a new task, according to a study published this week in Nature. Led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the st ...


Spinons -- confined like quarks

Physics / General Physics

created 11 hours ago | popularity 4.3 / 5 (9) | comments 0

The concept of confinement is one of the central ideas in modern physics. The most famous example is that of quarks which bind together to form protons and neutrons. Now Prof. Bella Lake from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (Germany) ...


What a grind: Bruxism at night likely a sign of stress by day

Medicine & Health / Health

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

You can practically track Steve Barkley's stress by the level of activity in his temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw to the temporal bone of the skull and helps one chew, talk and ...


Tough yet stiff deer antler is materials scientist's dream

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (5) | comments 2

Prized for their impressive antlers, red deer have been caught in the hunters' sights for generations. But a deer's antlers are much more than decorative. They are lethal weapons that stags crash together when duelling. John ...


Ecological speciation by sexual selection on good genes: Is speciation adaptive?

Biology / Ecology

created Nov 26, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Darwin suggested that the action of natural selection can produce new species, but 150 years after the publication of his famous book, 'On the Origin of Species', debate still continues on the mechanisms of speciation. New ...


Girl's progress after pioneering brain surgery gives hope to other parents

Medicine & Health / Other

created Nov 26, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Lexi Haas is awakening into a world of new possibilities. Miracle by tiny miracle, she is making her body do what she wants -- instead of her body always controlling her. She looked up at her mother a few weeks ago, pursed ...


Whiteflies sabotage alarm system of plant in distress

Whiteflies sabotage alarm system of plant in distress

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Nov 26, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- When spider mites attack a bean plant, the plant responds by producing odours which attract predatory mites. These predatory mites then exterminate the spider mite population, thus acting ...


Should I buy a PC or Mac?

Technology / Software

created Nov 25, 2009 | popularity 2.6 / 5 (19) | comments 31

Q. Our 6-year-old PC computer is dying a slow death and we are considering moving to a new iMac but have a few concerns. First, of all, we have several Word documents on our disk drive now that we want to keep and add to ...


Implant-based cancer vaccine is first to eliminate tumors in mice

Implant-based cancer vaccine is first to eliminate tumors in mice

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 25, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (29) | comments 7

(PhysOrg.com) -- A cancer vaccine carried into the body on a carefully engineered, fingernail-sized implant is the first to successfully eliminate tumors in mammals, scientists report this week in the journal ...


New device implanted by surgeons help paralyzed patients breathe easier

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 25, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Physicians at UT Southwestern Medical Center soon will begin implanting a new device designed to improve breathing in patients with upper spinal-cord injuries or other diseases that keep them from breathing independently.



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