Muscle physiology Flashcards
what are physiological functions of skeletal muscles
- maintain posture
- purposeful movement
- respiratory movement
- heat production
- whole body metabolism
what type of muscle is skeletal
striated - alternating dark bands (caused by myosin thick filaments) and light bands ( caused by actin thin filaments)
what innervates skeletal muscle
somatic nervous system and are subject to voluntary control
what initiates and propagates contraction in skeletal muscle
Neurogenic initiation of contraction
Motor units
Neuromuscular junction present
No gap junctions
what is the gradation of contraction by skeletal muscle
- motor unit recruitment
2. summation of contractions
what is the neurotransmitter between the nerve and skeletal muscle
acetylcholine
what is a motor unit
single alpha motor neurone and all the skeletal muscle fibres it innervates
what structures does a muscle fibre contain
myofibril and sarcomere that contain myosin and actin
myosin (thick filament) and actin (thin filament)
what causes the light appliance in myofibrils and fibers and what causes the dark appearance
light - actin
dark - myosin
what are sarcomeres
actin and myosin are arranged into sarcomeres - these are the functional units of muscle
what is the functional unit of any organ
smallest component capable of performing all the functions of that organ
what is the functional unit of the skeletal muscle
sarcomere
what is the function of the Z line
connect the thin filaments of 2 adding sarcomeres
what is A band
made up of thick filaments along with portions of thin filaments that overlap in both ends of thick filaments
what is the H zone
lighter area within middle of A band where the thin filaments dont reach
what is the M line
extends vertically down the middle of A band with the centre of H zone
what is the I band
consists of remaining portion of thin filaments that do not project in A band
how is muscle tension produced
by sliding actin filament of myosin filament = sliding filament theory
when is Ca2+ released from the lateral sacs in the SR
when the surface action potential spreads down the transverse (T)-tubules
what is the process of muscle contraction
- ACh released by axon of motor neurone crosses clear and bind to receptors on motor end plate
- Action potential generated in response to binding of ACh and subsequent end-plate potential is propagated across surface membrane and down T tubules of muscle cell
- Action potential in T tubules triggers Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum
- Ca2+ released from lateral sacs, bind to troponin on actin filaments and leads to tropomyosin being physically moved alongside to uncover cross bridge binding sites on actin
- myosin cross bridges attach to actin and bend, pulling actin filaments towards centre of sarcomere; powered bu energy provided by ATP
- Ca2+ actively taken up by SR when there is no longer an action potential
- with Ca2+ no longer bound to troponin, tropomyosin slips back to its blocking position over binding sites on actin, contraction ends, actin passively slide snack to its original resting position