What is another name for smooth muscles?

1 Answer
Apr 12, 2017

1) Involuntary muscles
2) Non striated muscles

Explanation:

1) Because they can't be controlled by our own will.
Internal organs such as intestine, stomach muscularis is lined by smooth muscles and they mainly help in peristalsis.
Internal organs are under the control of medulla oblongata and so also the smooth muscles.

2) Since, they don't have the two muscle proteins:

i) Actin which is polymer of globular g-actin and filamentous f protein.

ii) Myosin which comprises the Heavy meromyosin (Head) and Light meromyosin (tail).

(Due to the presence of these proteins, the muscles appear striated in appearance.)

The proteins help in constriction of voluntary muscle or the striated muscles.

If you are curious about striated muscles, you can find more about them here :
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/ap/histology_mh/strimusc.html