Functional Anatomy Flashcards
Muscle belly
A number of long muscle fibres grouped together
Epimysium
The layer of connective tissue that encases the muscle
Endomysium
The connective tissue that surrounds individual muscle fibres
Perimysium
The connective tissue that surrounds a fascicle
Fascicle
A bundle of muscle fibres
Describe the structure of a muscle from muscle down to myosin and actin
- A muscle is actually made up of bunches of fascicles
- A fascicle is a bundle of muscle fibres
- A muscle fibre is made up of lots of myofibrils
- Along the length of a myofibril are contractile units of the myofibril called sarcomeres
- Within each sarcomere we find the myofilaments actin and myosin
Sarcomere
- The contractile unit of a muscle
- Made up of overlapping actin and myosin proteins
- The Z lines form the boundary of the sarcomere
- Actin attaches to Z lines, myosin does not
- The myosin filaments are parallel to the actin and sit in between each actin filament, in the middle of the sarcomere
Actin
The thin protein filament attached to the Z line
Myosin
The thick protein filament that contains cross-bridges
Contraction of a muscle summary
- When there is a neurochemical stimulation, calcium is released into the sarcomere prompting a reaction between the myosin and the actin filaments.
- Calcium causes the actin binding site to be revealed.
- Myosin filaments contain crossbridges at regular intervals. These myosin cross bridges reach out and attach to the actin filament.
- Breakdown of ATP releases energy to stimulate crossbridges which attach and reattach at different times along the actin pulling on them to create movement and maintain tension.
- This causes the actin to move towards the centre of the sarcomere, shortening the I band and H zone as the Z lines are brought closer together. This shortens the length of the myofibril.
- The actin and myosin filaments almost fully overlap when in a fully contracted position
- As the neural impulse ends calcium leaves the sarcomere and the contraction finishes, causing the myosin and actin filaments to return to a relaxed position
3 types of muscle contraction
-Isometric
-Isotonic
-Isokinetic
Isometric muscle contraction
- An isometric force will result in NO CHANGE in muscle length.
- Myosin crossbridges still attach but the actin filaments are not pulled towards the midline of the sarcomere.
- An isometric contraction will produce the most force.
E.g. bridge/prone plank, scrum in rugby
Isotonic muscle contraction
Change in the length of a muscle performed against a CONSTANT load.
Can be:
- Concentric (generally the lifting phase)
Muscle shortens
Occurs when you apply a force against direction of gravity
or
- Eccentric (generally the lowering phase)
Muscular lengthens
Occurs when you apply resist a force with gravity
Isokinetic muscle contraction
- Results in change of length of muscle against a VARYING load.
Define the force-velocity relationship
The force generated by a muscle depends on the total number of cross-bridges attached.