Muscles produce the force required for movement in the body. It is obvious to think of skeletal muscle that is attached to bone and creates movement around a joint, but it is also important to remember the other types of muscle; Cardiac muscle (heart), and Smooth/Visceral muscle (tubular structures).
As in all human processes there is a lot of chemistry involved in the working of muscles. A muscle is stimulated by a motor neurone which carries a nerve impulse by way of ion channels and neurotransmitters, and this causes the muscle to contract via the sliding filament theory. This whole process requires energy which is produced by phosphorylation of adenosine diphosphate to form adenosine triphosphate.
In addition to the chemistry of muscles themselves this site will look at energy sources in relation to different types of muscle activity and also the effect of steroids on muscles. Steroids and other drugs, natural and synthetic have a huge affect on the chemistry of how muscles work.
Muscle Contraction Respiration Energy Sources Steroids Bibliography
Last updated by Andrew Robinson 26th May 2004