Vetinerary Assistant Practice Exam

What are the three muscle types?

1. smooth, skeletal, and striated

2. cardiac, voluntary, and smooth

3. skeletal, cardiac, and smooth

4. voluntary, involuntary, and smooth

The correct answer is: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth

Muscle tissue is classified into three primary types based on structure and function: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. Skeletal muscle is attached to bones and facilitates voluntary movements, allowing for great control over body motions. Its fibers are long, striated, and multinucleated, which is characteristic of this muscle type. Cardiac muscle is found exclusively in the heart. It is striated like skeletal muscle but is involuntary, meaning it functions without conscious control. Cardiac muscle cells are typically single-nucleated and interconnected by intercalated discs, allowing for coordinated contractions that pump blood throughout the body. Smooth muscle, unlike skeletal muscle, is not striated and is also under involuntary control. It is found in the walls of hollow organs, such as the intestines and blood vessels, and is responsible for movements like digestion and regulation of blood flow. The other options listed focus on combinations or classifications that do not accurately represent the three distinct types of muscle tissue. Each of the three muscle types has unique characteristics that define their structure and function, making the identification of these three—skeletal, cardiac, and smooth—essential for understanding muscle physiology.