Physiology Flashcards
What is the largest tissue type in the body?
Muscle
All muscle in the body is striated. True/False?
False
Smooth muscle is not striated
Which division of the nervous system - autonomic or somatic - innervates skeletal muscle?
Somatic
Skeletal muscle fibres are organised into motor units. What are motor units?
A single alpha motor neuron + all the muscle fibres innervated by it
What determines the number of muscle fibres per motor unit?
The function of the muscle (whether it is concerned with powerful or precise movement)
Give examples of muscles that have few muscle fibres per motor unit
MUSCLES FOR FINE MOVEMENT
External eye muscles
Muscles of facial expression
Intrinsic hand muscles
What is contained within a muscle fibre?
Myofibrils: alternating (dark) thick myosin and (light) thin actin bands
Sarcomeres: functional units of muscle
Skeletal muscle contraction is brought about by myogenic initiation. True/False?
False
Neurogenic (nerve stimulated first)
Are there gap junctions between muscle fibres?
No
Which substance is released in response to action potential generation + presence in the T-tubule of the muscle fibre?
Calcium
What does calcium release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum cause?
Calcium binds to troponin, causing conformational change in tropomyosin complex to expose myosin-binding-site on actin to allow cross-bridge formation between actin and myosin
List the 4 zones of a sarcomere
A-band
H-zone
I-band
M-line
What does the A-band consist of?
Myosin + portion of actin that overlaps with myosin
Where is the H-zone?
Lighter area within A-band where actin doesn’t reach
Where is the M-line?
Extends vertically down the middle of the A-band within the centre of the H-zone
What does the I-band consist of?
Remaining portion of actin that is not part of the A-band
What 2 primary factors determine gradation of skeletal muscle tension?
Number of muscle fibres contracting within the muscle
Tension developed by each muscle fibre
What is meant by “motor unit recruitment”?
Stimulating numerous motor units to contract elicits stronger contraction
Tetanic contractions of skeletal muscle are not possible. True/False?
False
Cardiac muscle cannot be tetanised due to long refractory period
How is tetanic contraction of skeletal muscle brought about?
Generation of numerous action potentials one after the other amplify the contraction/skeletal muscle twitch