The muscular system of the body consists of cardiac muscle, smooth muscle and skeletal muscle. The muscle involving the heart is called the cardiac muscle. The smooth muscle lies within the hollow organs of the body. It is involved with regulating the blood flow within the arteries, the movement of food through the intestinal tract and other involuntary actions. The skeletal muscle also is called striated muscle which is under voluntary control.
Cardiac Muscle
Heart attacks or myocardial infarctions happen when there is an interrupted flow of blood to the heart muscle and the heart weakens due to the damage that has occurred. The heart muscle has the job of pumping blood through the body systems. If the blood is not pumped adequately, circulation will stop and other abnormalities may occur such as unusual blood clotting, poor circulation to extremities and an insufficient amount of oxygen throughout the body. Cardiac myopathy occurs when the heart muscle weakens due to a change in the genes within the muscle. This causes an enlargement of the heart, which affects its ability to function properly. The pumping ability slows down due to the extra workload of the heart caused by decreased functioning of the heart.
Smooth Muscle
Neuromuscular disease may occur in the smooth muscle system. This may cause paralysis or spasticity, depending on where it occurs. Since the smooth muscle system regulates functions of your body that you can't control, they are called involuntary muscles. Another example of smooth muscle disease is when histamine is released in the body. This causes a contraction of smooth muscle lining the air passages of the lungs, which triggers asthma, a lung disease.
Skeletal Muscle
Disease of the skeletal muscle system occur when the muscle becomes weakened at the connecting neuromuscular joint. This is called Myasthenia gravis. Muscular dystrophy occurs when antibodies form at the receptor messaging sites of the muscle and the muscle thus becomes weak. It is difficult for the muscle to perform adequate contraction and movement.
