Muscle forces and levers Flashcards
What is a motor unit
A motor unit is made up of a motor neuron and the skeletal muscle fibers innervated by that motor neuron’s axonal terminals
Summarise the sliding filament theory
Muscle shortens or lengthens because the tick and thin filaments slide past each other without actually changing length
Each myosin molecule is shaped like golf clubs twisted together
Cross bridges point towards the thin filament in a spiralling arrangement - these are essential for muscle contraction
Troponin
binds to calcium, releasing tropomyosin from actin allowing myosin binding
Changes with sarcomeres with contraction
decreased I band region = z bands are pulled toward the centre of each sarcomere
h zone can disappear
Explain the sliding filament conditions during rest
cross bridges lie close to myosin
binding sites on actin closed
Explain the sliding filament conditions during excitation
nerve stimulates the muscle
action potential spreads to the T tubules causing calcium ions to be release from th sarcoplasmic reticulum
It combines with troponin molecules on actin
Hills mechanical model of muscle
Contractile components. E.g actin and myosin
Elastic components - generate passive tension lengthening,
Length tension relationship
Muscle force depends on the length of the muscle - highest force generated at 100-120% resting length
Angle of pull
Angle between muscle insertion and bone on which it inserts
Spurt muscle
Insertion is closer to the joint than the origin
Muscle force mainly acts to rotate the bone
E.g biceps brachii in elbow flexion
Shunt muscles
Origin is closer to the joint than the insertion
muscle force is directed along bone
2 joint muscles
Many skills involve movement at both joints; useful to have a muscle that contributes to both
E.g spurt muscle at elbow joint, shunt muscle at shoulder
Can 2 joint muscles produce full wage motion at both joints simultaneously?
no
What is the rectus fomoris responsible for?
Hip flexion and knee extension
muscle will act on joint where it has the largest moment arm or furthest away from the joint
Describe the relationship between velocity of muscle contraction and cross bridge
As the velocity of muscle contraction increases, the cross bridge demand increases which causes fewer cross bridges to attach to and decreased force
Describe the force velocity relationship - eccentric actions
Eccentric action created = load by antagonist muscle, gravity o another external load
Levers in the body
Bones=levers
Joints= fulcrums
What is a fulcrum ?
Point around which the lever rotates
What is an effort arm
The part of the lever than the effort force is applied to