(Lectures 7-9, Chapter 11) Muscular System Flashcards
3 types of muscle
- Skeletal
- Cardiac
- Smooth
Characteristics of skeletal muscle
- attached to bones
- striated
- voluntary contractions
Characteristics of cardiac muscle
- found only in the heart
- striated
- involuntary contractions
Characteristics of smooth muscle
- lines hollow internal structures
- nonstriated
- involuntary contractions
Functions of muscle
- Producing body movements
- Stabilizing body positions
- Storing/moving substances within the body
- Thermogenesis (generating heat)
Properties of muscle (3)
- Electrical excitability (ability to respond to stimuli by producing action potentials)
- Contractility (can contract forcefully when adequately stimulated)
- Extensibility (can stretch without being damaged)
Shape of skeletal muscle fibers (cells)
Long, cylindrical
3 layers of connective tissue in skeletal muscle
- Epimysium (surrounds muscle tissue)
- Perimysium (divides skeletal muscle into bundles)
- Endomysium (thin sheath that covers individual fibers)
Myosatellite cells
Mononucleated stem cells; precursors to skeletal muscle cells
What happens to myoblasts as they differentiate into muscle fibers?
Align, elongate, fuse together; forms long multinucleated cells
T/F: muscle cells don’t have/need many mitochondria
False
What happens to a muscle when it’s damaged?
Inflammation, swelling
Axial vs Appendicular Muscies
Axial: located along the body’s axis (i.e. along the center; head, neck, core)
Appendicular: located along the body’s limbs
Myofibrils
Filaments containing muscle fibers
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR)
“Smooth ER” of the muscle, containing a lot of Ca2+
What are the names for the plasma membrane and cytoplasm of muscle cells?
Sarcolemma. sarcoplasm
Transverse Tubules
Invaginations of the sarcolemma, filled with ECF
Terminal Cisternae/Lateral Sacs`
Sacs on the end of the SR, located near the T-tubules, containing Ca2+
Triad
Structure consisting of a T-tubule and the two terminal cisternae on either side of it
Why do muscle fibers need many nuclei?
- Muscle fibers consist mostly of protein, which degrade over time
- More nuclei = more transcription/translation (i.e. more protein is made)
Describe the charge distribution on either side of the sarcolemma.
Negative on the inside, positive on the outside
What causes the uneven distribution of charges across the sarcolemma?
Leak channels, which allow for the movement of ions
How do muscle action potentials trigger the start of muscle contractions?
- Travel along sarcolemma and into T-tubules
- Triggers release of Ca2+ from the SR
What structure separates individual myofibrils?
Z disc
Sarcomere
- Unit of contraction in myofibrils (one myofibril has many sarcomeres)
- Contain thick and thin filaments
Thick Filaments
Myosin fibers
Thin Filaments
Actin fibers
How are myofibers in the sarcomere attached to the plasma membrane?
What happens to the membrane when a muscle contracts?
Membrane proteins
Myofiber shortens, putting stress on the membrane
Myoglobin
- Protein that binds oxygen from RBCs
- A muscle that needs to use more oxygen will have more myoglobin, giving it a red appearance
Glycogen
- Stored in the muscles
- Broken down when an energy source is needed
M line
The middle of a sarcomere
H zone
- Middle region of a sarcomere, containing the M line
- Contains only thick filaments
A band
- Found on either side of the H zone
- Contains both thick and thin filaments
I band
- Found between A band and Z disc
- Contains only thin filaments
Name the two contractile proteins in muscles.
Actin, myosin
Name the two regulatory proteins in muscles.
Troponin, tropomyosin
What are the purposes of the 3 types of proteins in muscles?
Contractile: formation of filaments
Regulatory: regulate contraction
Structural: hold the sarcomere complex together so the muscle can function
Name two structural proteins in muscles.
Titin, alpha-actinin
Actin
Consists of globular proteins, each with a binding site for myosin