What are the four special functional chracteristics of muscles that
are the basis for muscle response?
What is the difference between direct and indirect muscle attachment?

Hello and thank you for your question.

The four functional characteristics of muscle are: contractility,
excitability, extensibility, and elasticity.
http://www.clark.cc.oh.us/syllabus.cgi?BIO105C23

Direct and indirect attachment are the two ways that insects attach
their muscles to their wings:  "There are two flight mechanisms,
indirect flight and direct flight and they are distinguished from each
other by the attachment of the muscles to the wings. In direct flight
the wing is lowered by muscles that are attached to it. In indirect
flight the wings lower as the tergum rises in response to contraction
of muscles attached to the thorax rather than the wing."
http://salinella.bio.uottawa.ca/BIO3323/Lectures/bio3323_lect_MuscleLocom.htm

Search terms used:
"four special functional chracteristics of muscles "
"muscle attachment" direct indirect

Good luck!
Google Answers Researcher
Richard-ga