Muscle and Nerve Development in Health and Disease

Abstract

One of the most important functions of the central nervous system and the primary outwardly visible manifestation of brain function is movement. Despite the apparent simplicity of achieving purposeful movement a dizzyingly complex series of electrochemical signals and biochemical transitions is required for completion of even the simplest of motions. The appropriate neural pathways leading from neurons in the brain and terminating on the often remote target skeletal muscle fibers must be intact, the neuromuscular junctions properly formed and maintained, and the target muscle fibers functional and supplied with metabolic substrates. Defects in any of these components result in weakness. This chapter reviews the embryology, anatomy, and function of the peripheral nervous and skeletal muscle systems. Subsequent chapters address clinical and laboratory investigations into diseases of skeletal muscle, as well as the diverse array of diseases resulting from both intrinsic and acquired defects.