Contractability allows muscles to change shape to become shorter and thicker. Elasticity once the stretching force is removed a living muscle cell retains it's original shape. Types of muscles Different types of muscle respond, contract, and relax at different rates. These are voluntary muscles attached to the skeleton that help to move the bones. There are nearly 700 skeletal muscles spread all over the body.
Visceral muscles are smooth and without banding.
They have short fibres and single cell nuclei. The diaphragm is located in the rib cage below the lungs. Hiccups' are a spasm of the diaphragm. Internal intercostals lift the ribs during respiration, whilst external intercostals draw the ribs together during expiration to lessen the volume of the rib cage and thoracic cavity to push air out of the lungs. Tendons connect muscles to the bone, these are formed from the connective tissue that cover the muscle.