Anatomy and Physiology - Neuromuscular System

Question 1

Action potential

Answer 1

An electrical impulse that stimulates the muscle fibres

Question 2

All or none law

Answer 2

A muscle fibre has to either fully contract or not contract at all; there is no in-between level of contraction

Question 3

Fast glycolytic muscle fibre

Answer 3

Type iix muscle fibres, characterised by features such as a high force production and high glycolytic capacity

Question 4

Fast oxidative glycolytic muscle fibre

Answer 4

Type iia muscle fibre, characterised by features such as high oxidative capacity and fast contraction time

Question 5

Motor neuron

Answer 5

A nerve cell joining muscle fibres at a neuromuscular junction

Question 6

Neurotransmitter

Answer 6

Chemicals which stimulate the action potentials to travel across synapses to another neuron

Question 7

Spatial summation

Answer 7

When an increasing amount of motor units are recruited

Question 8

Tetanic summation

Answer 8

The stimulation of the muscle occurs too rapidly to allow any relaxation

Question 9

Wave summation

Answer 9

Increasing the strength of muscular contraction by increasing the frequency of impulses