Chapter 13: Spinal Control of Movement Flashcards
Muscles and neurons that control muscles
motor system
role of motor system:
generation of coordinated movements
Parts of motor control (2 types of motor programs)
- spinal cord - control of coordinated muscle contraction
- brain - modulates control of motor programs in spinal cord
types of muscle
smooth, striated
Each muscle has hundreds of (), the fused skeletal muscle cells (multiple nuclei). And each fiber is innervated by a single axon branch from the CNS
muscle fibers
Inner movement of arms: (1) -> Promoted by (2) muscles
- flexion
- flexor
outward movement of arms: (1) -> Promoted by (2) muscles
- extension
- extensor
Groups of Somatic Musculature and Distribution of Lower Motor Neurons
Axial muscles: trunk movement/ maintaining posture
Proximal muscles: shoulder, elbow, pelvis, knee movement/locomotion
Distal muscles: hands, feet, digits (fingers and toes) movement/manipulation of objects
(): neurons in the brain that supply input to the spinal cord;
Upper motor neurons
Somatic muscles are majorly innervated by (1), whose somas are found in (2)
- lower motor neurons
- ventral horn of spinal cord
Motor neurons innervating proximal and distal muscles are found mainly in the (1) segments of the spinal cord, whereas those innervating axial muscles are found (2).
- cervical and lumbar-sacral
- at all levels
Motor neurons controlling flexors lie (dorsal/ventral) to extensors.
dorsal
Motor neurons controlling axial muscles lie (lateral/medial) to those controlling distal muscles.
medial
() motor neurons directly trigger the generation of force by muscle
Alpha
(): motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates
Motor unit
(): all the alpha motor neurons that innervate a single muscle
Motor neuron pool
The () is one important way the CNS grades muscle contraction
rate of firing of the motor unit
Recruiting additional synergistic motor units -> muscles with a large number of small motor units can be ().
more finely controlled by the CNS
Inputs to Alpha Motor Neurons (3)
- sensory input from muscle spindles
- upper motor neurons in brain
- spinal interneurons
Sensory input from muscle spindles: via (1); provide feedback about (2)
- stretch receptors
- muscle length
Upper motor neurons in the brain: ()
initiation and control of voluntary movement and will
Spinal interneurons can be ()
excitatory or inhibitory
types of motor units
fast and slow motor units