Muscle Structure and Pathologies Flashcards
How are skeletal muscles organised?
Skeletal muscles are wrapped in dense connective tissue called epimysium
Muscle fascicles within skeletal muscle are wrapped in perimysium
Muscle fibres (cells) within fascicles are wrapped in endomysium and sarcolemma
Actin and myosin filaments (myofibrils) are within the muscle fibres.
What are the features of skeletal muscle cells?
- Cylindrical cells
- Striated
- Multinucleate
- Limited regeneration (satellite cells)
- Voluntary control
What are the features of cardiac muscle cells?
- Branched cells
- Intercalated discs
- Striated
- Mono/binucleate
- No regeneration
- Spontaneous contraction (involuntary)
What are the features of smooth muscle cells?
- Spindle shaped
- Central nucleus
- Capable of regeneration
- ANS and endocrine regulation
- Found in hollow organs, vessels, glands
What are the different types of muscle fibres?
Type 1 (slow twitch):
- Aerobic- slow oxidative
- Many mitochondria
- Slow contraction, fatigue resistant
Type 2A:
- Aerobic and anaerobic- fast oxidative
- Many mitochondria
- Intermediate contraction speed
Type 2B (fast twitch):
- Anaerobic
- Few mitochondria
- Fast, powerful, rapidly fatiguable
What are the stages of transmission of an action potential at the neuromuscular junction?
- Action potential arrives and depolarises the presynaptic membrane of the motor neurone
- Calcium channels open: calcium slows into the pre-synaptic terminal down its concentration gradient
- Vesicles containing Ach move into the presynaptic membrane, fuse and release Ach into the synaptic cleft by exocytosis.
- Ach diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to nicotinic Ach receptors on the post-synaptic terminal
- Ach causes conformational change in the receptor which opens its ion channel, Na+ enters the motor end plate and K+ leaves. Motor end plate depolarises to meet end plate potential.
- End plate potential causes opening of voltage gated Na+ channels in the adjacent membrane which initiates an action potential which propagates down the muscle fibre
- Ach (only binds to nicotinic receptors briefly then dissociates) is broken down by acetylcholinesterase in the synaptic cleft into acetate and choline. This is taken back up into the presynaptic terminal.
What is a motor unit?
Motor neuron and the muscle fibres it innervates.
(Each motor unit only innervated by 1 motor neuron)
Where are nicotinic Ach receptors found?
What are they?
NMJ on skeletal muscle cells
Ligand gated ion channels
What causes myasthenia gravis?
How is it treated?
Autoantibodies against nicotinic Ach receptors on post-synaptic membrane block receptors preventing Ach bindng.
This causes muscle weakness.
Often affects extraocular muscles
Treated with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (neostigmine)
What is botulinum toxin?
- Produced by clostridium botulinum
- Degrades the SNARE protein complex
- Blocks Ach release from presynaptic terminals causing a total blockade at the NJM
- Causes flaccid paralysis, can cause paralysis of resp muscles.
What are T-tubules?
Invaginations of the sarcolemma.
When the sarcolemma depolarises, the wave of depolarisation extends down the T-tubules which stimulates the release of calcium from the adjacent sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Describe the structure of the sarcomere
A band: located in the centre of the sarcomere
- Mainly thick filaments, some overlapping thin
I bands: Located either side of the A band.
- Only thin filaments
Z discs: the point where thin filaments from adjacent sarcomeres join
H zone: area in the centre of the A band
- Thick filaments only
M line: point at which thick filaments meet and connect with the cell membrane
What is the structure of thick filaments
Composed of myosin containing light and heavy chains.
Heads of the myosin molecule contain actin binding site for cross bridge formation with actin.
Also contains an ATPase site.
What is the structure of thin filaments
Composed of actin, tropomyosin and troponin.
Tropomyosin runs along the groove of each twisted actin filament. Covers the actin binding site.
Troponin:
- T component is bound to tropomyosin
- I component helps to block actin binding site
- C component is for calcium binding on contraction.
Describe the process of excitation-contraction coupling
- Depolarisation of muscle fibre membrane→ action potential propagation down T-tubules
- Conformational change in dihydropyridine receptors on T-tubules→ conformational change in ryanodine receptors on SR
- Ca2+ released from SR→ increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration
- Ca2+ binds to troponin C→ binding sites exposed
- Actin binds to myosin = contraction