muscle part 2 Flashcards
contraction produces…
tension
isometric contraction
no shortening, muscle tension increases but doesn’t exceed the load
isotonic contraction
muscle shortens because muscle tension exceeds the load
concentric contraction: shortens and does work (going up during push ups)
OR
eccentric contraction: muscle contracts as it lengthens (going down during a push up)
force and duration of contraction depend on…
frequency and intensity of stimuli
motor unit
a motor neuron and all muscle fibers it supplies. axons of motor neurons divide into a number of axon terminals that form neuromuscular junctions with each muscle fiber
twitch
briefest muscle contraction, just contraction and then relaxation
small motor unit
in muscle that control fine movements (fingers, eyes)
large motor units
in large weight bearing muscles (thighs, hips)
why can you control individual muscle cells?
- because of individual connections with motor endplates
- endomysium stops every cell from firing
motor unit contraction
contract asynchronously, helps prevent fatigue (allows us to hold heavier loads for longer w/o getting tired)
myogram
- latent period: time of endplate potential and excitation phase
- stimulus, then contraction phase
- contraction period: cross bridge formation, tension increases
- peak of graph is maximum tension, then calcium goes away, leading to a decrease in tension
- calcium is pumped back in by active transport
muscle twitch comparison
different strength and duration of twitches due to variation in enzyme function between muscles
more specifically:
if ATP can be broken down faster by ATPase, the muscle can twitch faster
gastrocnemius
springing, jumping
soleus
standing, walking
a single stimulus results in…
a single twitch