National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

Which type of muscle tissue is under voluntary control?

1. Skeletal muscle

2. Cardiac muscle

3. Smooth muscle

4. None of the above

The correct answer is: Skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle is the type of muscle tissue that is under voluntary control. This means that individuals can consciously decide to move these muscles, such as when they contract to move limbs or other parts of the body. Skeletal muscles are attached to bones and facilitate movement through their actions. Each skeletal muscle fiber is innervated by a motor neuron, allowing for precise control of muscle contractions. This is crucial for activities requiring coordination, such as walking, writing, or playing sports. In contrast, cardiac muscle, which makes up the heart, operates involuntarily and is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. It is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and responds to intrinsic pacemaker cells that control heart rhythm. Smooth muscle, found in the walls of internal organs and structures like blood vessels and the digestive tract, is also involuntary. It functions automatically, managing processes such as digestion and blood flow without conscious effort. Thus, skeletal muscle's ability to be controlled deliberately distinguishes it from cardiac and smooth muscle, affirming its classification as the muscle type under voluntary control.