historian3x Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I was flipping through my A&P book, couldn't get a direct answer on it. Could someone confirm it? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgwyther Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 The diaphram is not a smooth muscle, it is skeletal although it is often mistaken for being a smooth muscle. I found this on chantuer.net, amongst many other similar explanations. "The diaphragm has ONLY skeletal muscle, not smooth muscle - none. It will not contract spontaneously as cardiac muscle. It MUST have an impulse delivered to contract. That impulse can originate in the higher brain centers as when we voluntarily inhale and exhale or in the lower brain as when low oxygen levels or high levels of acid or carbon dioxide are present in the cerebrospinal fluid or blood. " 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historian3x Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrons Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Nope, definitely skeletal muscle. Pretty big one too... intimately involved in respiration (inspiration to be exact). Innervated by the phrenic nerve, which arises from spinal nerves C3, C4, and C5 (also innervates the parietal paricardium (covering of the heart) and the pleura on the mediastinal side (side of the pleural cavity of the lungs facing the compartment of the thorax where the heart is situated). Incidentally chronic and severe hiccups can be treated surgically by crushing or sectioning this very same nerve). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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