Muscle Vocabulary Flashcards
A neurotransmitter liberated by many peripheral nervous system neurons and some central nervous system neurons. It is excitatory at neuromuscular junctions but inhibitory at some other synapse.
Acetylcholine
A contractile protein that is part of thin filaments in muscle fibers.
Actin
The ability of cells or parts of cells to actively generate force to undergo shortening for movements. Muscle fibers (cells) exhibit a high degree of it.
Contractility
The ability of tissue to return to its original shape after contraction or extension.
Elasticity
The ability of muscle tissue to stretch when it is pulled.
Extensibility
Region of the sarcolemma of a muscle fiber (cell) that includes acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, which bind ACh released by synaptic end bulbs of somatic motor neurons.
Motor end plate
A moto neuron together with the muscle fibers (cells) it stimulates.
Motor unit
A sustained, partial contraction of portions of a skeletal or smooth muscle in response to activation of stretch receptors or a baseline level of action potentials in the innervating motor neurons.
Muscle tone
The oxygen-binding, iron-containing protein present in the sarcoplasm of muscle fibers (cells); contributes the red color to muscle.
Myoglobin
The contractile protein that makes up the thick filaments of muscle fibers.
Myosin
The cell membrane of a muscle fiber (cells), especially of a skeletal muscle fiber.
Sarcolemma
A contractile unit in a striated muscle fiber (cell) extending from on Z disc to the next Z disc.
Sarcomeres
The cytoplasm of a muscle fiber (cells)
Sarcoplasm
A network of saccule and tubes surrounding myofibrils of a muscle fiber (cell), comparable to endoplasmic reticulum; functions to reabsorb calcium ions during relaxation and to release them to cause contraction.
Sarcoplasmic reticulum
Invagination of the epimysium that divides muscle into bundles.
Perimysium
