Muscular and Nervous Tissue

Introduction

The animal body is made up of groups of similar cells that perform specific functions called tissues. The two essential types of tissues in animals are muscular and nervous tissue. Muscular tissue helps in the body movement and is made up of specialised cells called muscle fibres that contract and create force, allowing the movement of limbs, in breathing, pumping blood, and performing various other physical activities. In contrast, nervous tissue comprises specialised cells called neurons, which help transmit electrical signals, allowing communication between different parts of the body. For coordinated movement and overall body function, the integration of muscular and neural tissues is essential. 

Procedure

1. First, observe the permanent slide of a striated muscle fibre using a microscope under lower magnification and then move to higher magnification. 
2. Record your observations and findings from the muscle fibre slide.
3. Next, replace it with a permanent slide of the nerve cell. 
4. First, observe under lower magnification and then observe at higher magnification. 
5. Identify and describe the various components and structures within the nerve cell. 
6. Create a labelled diagram of the nerve cell to illustrate its different parts.

Conclusion

Muscular tissues made up of unique cells called muscle fibres are responsible for the body’s movement. Three types of muscular tissue are skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles. Skeletal muscles are connected to bones and are responsible for controlling voluntary motion; smooth muscle fibres form the internal organ walls and are responsible for involuntary movements; and cardiac muscle forms the heart’s walls and is responsible for maintaining the blood flow throughout the body by contracting rhythmically. 

Whereas nervous tissues are responsible for processing and transmitting information in the body and are divided into two main parts: Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The central nervous system receives and combines information from the senses and issues orders to the body, whereas the peripheral nervous system acts as a bridge between the central nervous system and the other part of the body. 

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