Question

Differentiate between skeletal muscles and smooth muscles.

Answer 1

Hint: Skeletal muscles found attached to bones while smooth muscles are attached to hollow organs like the digestive system.

Complete answer:
Muscles are internal organs and make up the muscular system of the human body. Muscles cells are also known as muscle fibres which are very long and thin. It can contract and relax. Muscle cells are arranged either in bundles of sheets. There are three types of muscles in the human body as cardiac muscles, smooth muscles and skeletal muscles.

Heart is made up of cardiac muscles which help it to pump the blood. Contraction is a type of involuntary action. It has many mitochondria which produces energy in the form of ATP to perform work.

Skeletal muscles are attached to bones. They help for movement of various bones of the skeleton. Smooth muscles are forming the walls of hollow organs like intestines, blood vessels.

Points	Skeletal muscles	Smooth muscles
Location	Found attached to bones	Found on walls of hollow organs
Action	Voluntary action	Involuntary action
Structure	Striated because cells are arranged in bundles	No striation found because cells are arranged in sheets.
Involvement of nervous system	These are innervated by peripheral nervous system	These are innervated by sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
Types	Red for aerobic respiration and white for anaerobic respiration	Single unit or multiple unit like ciliary muscles
Composition	It consists of actin and myosin and is involved in muscle contraction.Troponin and calmodulin are also present.Calcium plays an important role in contraction.	It also consists of actin and myosin and is involved in muscle contraction. But actin concentration is very high in smooth muscles.Troponin and calmodulin are also present. Acetylcholine plays an important role.

Note: Skeletal muscles perform voluntary actions while smooth muscles perform involuntary actions. Skeletal muscles involved in movement of the body. Smooth muscles are responsible for proper functioning of organs.