What are the three types of muscle tissue?

• A. Cardiac, Smooth, Striated
• B. Skeletal, Cardiac, Smooth
• C. Skeletal, Voluntary, Involuntary
• D. Smooth, Cardiac, Tendon

Answer: (B)

Muscle tissue is categorized into three types by where they are and how they are controlled: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. Skeletal muscles attach to bones and are under conscious control; they look striped (striated) and respond quickly. Cardiac muscle forms the heart walls, beating on its own in a regular rhythm, and it is also striated. Smooth muscle lines the walls of hollow organs and blood vessels, contracts without conscious thought, and does not appear striped. The set that lists Skeletal, Cardiac, Smooth includes these three tissue types, which is why it’s the correct choice. The other options mix in non-muscle terms or attributes (like “tendon” or “voluntary/involuntary”) that aren’t tissue types, so they don’t fit.