LAB - Muscle Contaction

Question 1

What is tetanic contraction?

Answer 1

A sustained muscle contraction evoked with motor nerve emits action potentials at a very high rate

Question 2

What is summation?

Answer 2

It is successive stimuli that are added together to produce stronger muscle contraction

Question 3

What can produce tetanic contraction?

Answer 3

Increasing the frequency of depolarisation so calcium levels don’t dip below the threshold level that causes relaxation. Therefore contraction occurs before it can be relaxed.

Question 4

When muscle contracts what regions of sarcomeres (bands/lines) shorten?

Answer 4

I-band (actin only), H-zone (myosin only) and the distance between M-line to Z-line

Question 5

Describe the general trend of a tension to length graph of sarcomeres

Answer 5

At the begging an increase in length causes an increase in tension till it reaches its peak tension. Then after its peak tension, any further increase in length will cause the tension to decrease.

Question 6

What is the bragg eqation?

Answer 6