Diagram of the Human Muscular System (Infographic)

Infographics
By published
Infographic: How the human body's muscles work.
Learn about the muscles that move your body and keep you alive. (Image credit: by Ross Toro, Infographics Artist)

The muscular system can be broken down into three types of muscles: skeletal, smooth and cardiac. The muscles in the body support movement, help maintain posture, and circulate blood and other substances throughout the body.

 

 

In an hour of reading a book, the eyes make nearly 10,000 coordinated movements.

 

The heart is the hardest-working muscle. It pumps out 2 ounces (57 grams) of blood with every heartbeat. Daily, the heart pumps at least 2,500 gallons (9,464 liters) of blood. The heart has the ability to beat more than 3 billion times in a person’s life.

 

Skeletal muscle fibers can be divided into two types based on how they produce and use energy:

 

The slow-twitch muscles are efficient at using oxygen and can function over a long time before they fatigue.

 

Fast-twitch muscles are much better at generating short bursts of strength or speed than slow-twitch muscles.

 

Three types of muscle:

 

Skeletal muscles control every action that a person consciously performs.

 

Visceral or smooth muscle is found inside of organs and is controlled by the un-conscious part of the brain.

 

Cardiac muscle is found only in the heart and is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body.

 

Related:

Ross Toro
Ross Toro
Infographics Artist
Ross Toro is a contributing infographic artist for Live Science. He specializes in explanatory graphics that deal with science topics. Ross is a former art director of the Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and United Press International. He teaches Filipino martial arts when not dabbling in cartoons and animation.