voluntary

Examples of voluntary in the following topics:

• Neural Mechanisms (Cortex)

  • Voluntary respiration is any type of respiration that is under conscious control.
  • Voluntary respiration is important for the higher functions that involve air supply, such as voice control or blowing out candles.
  • The primary motor cortex is the neural center for voluntary respiratory control.
  • More broadly, the motor cortex is responsible for initiating any voluntary muscular movement.
  • Different parts of the cerebral cortex control different forms of voluntary respiration.

• Defecation Reflex

  • Defecation is a combination of voluntary and involuntary processes with enough force to remove waste material from the digestive system.
  • In the adult human, the process of defecation is normally a combination of both voluntary and involuntary processes with enough force to remove waste material from the digestive system.
  • Once the voluntary signal to defecate is sent back from the brain, the final phase begins.

• Comparing the Somatic and Autonomic Nervous Systems

  • The peripheral nervous system includes both a voluntary, somatic branch and an involuntary division regulating visceral functions.
  • The somatic nervous system (SoNS) is the part of the peripheral nervous system associated with the voluntary control of body movements via skeletal muscles.
  • The somatic nervous system controls all voluntary muscular systems within the body, and also mediates involuntary reflex arcs.

• Motor Areas

  • The motor areas, arranged like a pair of headphones across both cortex hemispheres, are involved in the control of voluntary movements.
  • The motor areas are very closely related to the control of voluntary movements, especially fine movements performed by the hand.

• Characteristics of Muscle Tissue

  • Muscle tissue can be classified functionally, voluntary or involuntary and morphologically striated or non-striated.
  • Voluntary refers to whether the muscle is under conscious control, striation refers to the presence of visible banding within myocytes which occurs due to organisation of myofibrils to produce a constant direction of tension.
  • Skeletal muscle is under voluntary control, although this can be subconscious for example when maintaining posture or balance.
  • Both cardiac and smooth muscle are involuntary while skeletal muscle is voluntary.

• Types of Muscle Tissue

  • Skeletal muscles are voluntary and striated in nature that allow movement of an organism by the deliberate generation of force.
  • Their function is to produce locomotion that is voluntary in nature.

• Sensory and Motor Tracts

  • The corticospinal tract is concerned specifically with discrete voluntary skilled movements, such as precise movement of the fingers and toes.
  • The primary purpose of the corticospinal tract is voluntary motor control of the body and limbs.

• Micturition and the Micturition Reflex

  • In healthy humans the process of urination is under voluntary control.
  • Brain centers that regulate urination include the pontine micturition center, periaqueductal gray, and the cerebral cortex, which cause both involuntary and voluntary control over micturition.

• Types of Muscle Contractions: Isotonic and Isometric

  • Eccentric contractions can be both voluntary and involuntary.
  • For example, a voluntary eccentric contraction would be the controlled lowering of the heavy weight raised during the above concentric contraction.

• Expiration

  • Expiration can be either voluntary or involuntary in order to serve different purposes for the body.
  • Voluntary expiration is actively controlled.
  • The nervous system component that controls voluntary expiration is the motor cortex (the ascending respiratory pathway), because it controls muscle movements, but this pathway isn't fully understood, and there are many other possible sites in the brain that may also be involved.