Module 8.1 Flashcards
muscles that control the digestive system and other organs
smooth muscles
muscles that control movement of the body in relation to the environment
skeletal muscles
muscles that have properties intermediate between those of smooth and skeletal muscles (heart muscles)
cardiac muscles
How do neurons attach to muscles?
by the neuromuscular junction
What neurotransmitter innervates skeletal muscles?
acetylcholine
Explain how a pair of antagonistic muscles work.
You have a flexor muscle that brings the body part in and a extensor muscle that straightens the body part.
Describe Myasthenia Gravis.
It is a disease in which the immune system forms antibodies that attack the acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions.
fibers that use fast contractions, fatigue rapidly and whose processes are aerobic
fast-twitch fibers
fibers have slower contractions, do not fatigue and whose process is anaerobic
slow-twitch fibers
What the difference between sprinters and marathon runners?
Sprinters use fast-twitch muscles primarily and marathon runners use slow-twitch fibers primarily
What is the purpose of proprioceptors?
They detect the position or movement of a part of the body.
What is the stretch reflex?
a reflexive contraction of a muscle caused by a stretch of that muscle
How is a stretch reflex accomplished using the muscle spindle?
When the muscle spindle stretches, its sensory nerves send a message back to the muscles around the spindle and this causes a contraction
Explain how the Golgi Tendon Organ works.
It prevents muscles from damaging themselves by contracting too much. It does this by detecting the tension that results in a muscle contraction. The impulses travel to the spinal cord, where they excite interneurons that inhibit the motor neurons.
a consistent automatic response to stimuli
relex
