Vocabulary & Check Your Knowledge

Muscular System Vocabulary

Antagonistic

In opposition to each other.

Cardiac muscle

The heart muscle also known as the myocardium. Its appearance is similar to skeletal muscle. It pumps blood and gives the heartbeat.

Electromyography (EMG)

Measures muscle response or electrical activity in response to a nerve’s stimulation of the muscle.

Fibromyalgia

Pain in the fibrous tissues of muscles.

Hemostasis

Biological process that results in stable equilibrium.

Hemiplegia

Paralysis that affects one side of the body.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Radiofrequency waves and a strong magnetic field provide clear and detailed pictures of internal organs and tissues.

Myasthenia Gravis

Grave or serious muscle weakness.

Paraplegia

Paralysis that affects both legs and lower part of the body.

Paresis

Partial paralysis wherein there is still some control of the muscles.

Quadriplegia

Affects both arms, both legs and sometimes from the neck down.

Skeletal muscle 

Also known as striated muscles. Skeletal muscles are responsible for voluntary muscle movement.

Smooth muscle

Also known as visceral muscles. Smooth muscle is mainly associated with the walls of internal organs. Smooth muscles are responsible for involuntary muscle movement.

Sprain

Injury to a joint whereby a ligament is stretched or torn.

Strain

Injury to a muscle whereby a tendon is stretched or torn.

Muscular System Glossary Reinforcement Activity

Muscular System Glossary Reinforcement Activity (Text version)
  1. Muscle that is associated with the walls of internal organs and is responsible for involuntary muscle movement is called _____[Blank 1].
    1. Skeletal muscle
    2. Smooth muscle
    3. Cardiac muscle
  2. Paralysis that effects one side of the body is called______ [Blank 2].
    1. paraplegia
    2. paresis
    3. hemiplegia
  3. An injury to a joint whereby a ligament is stretched or torn is called _____[Blank 3].
    1. a sprain
    2. a strain
    3. fibromyalgia
  4. Myasthenia Gravis is _______[Blank 4].
    1. pain in the fibrous tissues of muscles.
    2. grave or serious muscle weakness.
    3. partial paralysis wherein there is still some control of the muscles.
  5. Skeletal muscle is responsible for ______[Blank 5].
    1. voluntary muscle movement.
    2. pumping blood.
    3. involuntary muscle movement.

Check your answers: [1]

Activity source:  Muscular System Glossary Reinforcement Activity by Kimberlee Carter, from Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY- 4.0. /Text version added.

Attribution

Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Muscular System” in Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY 4.0. / A derivative of Betts et al., which can be accessed for free from Anatomy and Physiology (OpenStax). Adaptations: dividing Muscular System chapter content into sub-chapters.

  1. 1. Smooth muscle, 2. hemiplegia, 3. a sprain, 4. grave or serious muscle weakness, 5.voluntary muscle movement ↵

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e Copyright © 2024 by Kimberlee Carter; Marie Rutherford; and Connie Stevens is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book