Anatomical terms of muscle Anatomical terms of muscle Muscles are described using unique anatomical terminology according to their actions and structure. There are three types of muscle tissue in the human body: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. Skeletal striated muscle, or "voluntary muscle", primarily joins to bone with tendons. Skeletal muscle enables movement of the bones of the human skeleton and maintains posture. Smooth muscle tissue is found in parts of the body where it conveys action without conscious intent. The majority of this type of muscle tissue is found in the digestive and urinary systems where it acts by propelling forward food, chyme, and
Anatomical terms of muscle set of fibers that perform the same function, and are usually supplied by different nerves for different set of fibers. For example, the tongue itself is a composite muscle made up of various components like longitudinal, transverse, horizontal muscles with different parts innervated having different nerve supply. The "insertion" and "origin" of a muscle are the two places where it is anchored, one at each end. The tissue of the attachment is called an "enthesis". The "origin" of a muscle is the bone, typically proximal, which has greater mass and is more stable during a contraction than a muscle's insertion.