Muscles exist in every part of the human body. In fact, there are 630 muscles throughout the body. Learning about muscles is just as important as learning about bones.
Types
There are 3 types of muscle in the human body: cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. The first 2 types are not what you typically think of when you hear the word "muscle." They are involuntary muscles and need no conscious thought, on your part, to work. The cardiac muscle is the heart and blood vessels that pump blood through the body. Smooth muscle, similar to the cardiac muscle, is also involuntary. Your stomach and intestines that push food through your body make up a large portion of the smooth muscle. Skeletal muscle is what people usually think of when they think of "muscles." If you want to move your arm, your arm muscle moves. If you want to cross your legs or smile, your skeletal muscles go to work.
Function
Muscles have an extremely important job. Not only do they allow you to move and gesture, they allow you to breathe and pump blood as well. In fact, muscles keep you alive. With 40% of our body weight, on average, muscles play a big part in human survival.
Size
The muscles in the human body come in all different shapes and sizes. They range from 1/20 of an inch to muscles 300 times larger. The smallest muscle is the stapedius. This muscle is found inside the ear. The largest muscle is the gluteus maximus. This is the muscle found on the buttocks. There are many other large and small muscles of note, however. Many facial muscles are tiny. They allow you to make the slightest of expressions. The muscles in the back are also quite large. Some rival the gluteus maximus.
Misconceptions
Many people don't realize that muscles can only pull. They cannot push. Why is it, then, that you can move your arm in opposite directions? Many skeletal muscles work in pairs. While one pulls, the other relaxes. When it is time to move the arm in another direction, the muscles switch rolls. Over time, certain muscles become the larger of the pair. Probably the main reason for this is gravity. In the example of an arm, the muscles on the underside of your arms don't need to work nearly as hard because typically gravity helps bring your arm down as well. Pulling the arm up, however, goes against gravity. This is why biceps are typically larger than triceps.
Prevention/Solution
Muscle injury is common among the elderly and the extremely athletic. Many elderly men and women use their muscles much less often. They become weak, and suseptible to strain. Athletes can encounter muscle injuries due to too much strain or use. To prevent this from happening, it is best to warm up the body with less exaggerated movements. Once the muscles are warm, perform light stretching. This should also be done after a work-out. To prevent elderly muscle injury, simply using each muscle daily should do the trick.
Tags: human body, cardiac muscle, gluteus maximus, move your, muscle found, muscles work