Muscle Mechanics Flashcards
What is an isometric contraction?
When muscle is fixed at both ends to that it is unable to shorten.
What is the latent period in muscle contraction?
The time delay between the stimulus and the first recorded tension increase (length will vary based on fiber type).
What is mechanical summation?
If a second stimulus is applied to a muscle before it has relaxed completely, the resulting contraction will be greater than the first.
What is a tetanic contraction (“fused tetanus”)?
With a high frequency of stimuli, a sufficiently high fusion frequency can be reached resulting in a smooth and sustained contraction with a peak tension of 3 or 4x an individual twitch. This is the MAXIMUM force a muscle can develop.
Do muscle fibers have elasticity even when 100% extended/under tetanic tetany?
Yes
What does titin do?
Links thick filaments to the Z-band. Major source of passive elasticity.
What happens in terms of tension when relaxed muscles are extended?
Rise in passive tension
What is stress relaxation?
When a relaxed muscle is elongated there is a quick rise in passive tension, but given time the initial tension decreases exponentially with time to a lower stable value. Thus, extensible elements in muscle are visco-elastic.
What muscle type shows the greatest stress relaxation? Which the least?
Most = smooth Least = cardiac
What is the maximum active isometric force a sum of?
Passive tension in muscle prior to stimulation and active tension developed when crossbridges start cycling.
What is the “rest length” of a muscle?
Paradoxically, it is the length at which maximum active tetanic tension can be generated.
At rest, the tension is not due to SEC (which is not active), but rather the _____.
PEC from the recoil force of titin (aka preload)
When does maximum tension occur?
When there is optimal/complete overlap of actin and myosin filaments.
Resting tension is greater in _____ muscle.
Cardiac
Smooth muscle is able to function over _____ range of tension than skeletal muscle. What is the significance of this?
Wider range. Smooth muscle surrounds hollow organs and thus may experience large changes in volume.