Physiology Flashcards
What is common between all three types of muscle?
All can develop tension and produce movement through contraction
Skeletal and cardiac muscle are striated- how is this viewed under a light microscope?
Alternating dark and light bands.
Skeletal muscles are innervated by______
somatic nervous system so are under voluntary control
Difference between contraction in skeletal and cardiac muscle?
Skeletal muscle needs neurogenic initiation of contraction, there are motor units and a NM junction.
Cardiac muscle has a pacemaker potential which spreads via gap junctions.
Is there calcium induced calcium released in skeletal muscle?
No- only in heart muscle, in skeletal muscle all the Ca come from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
What is the neurotransmitter at the neuromuscular junction?
Acetylcholine
Define a motor unit
A single alpha motor neurone and all the skeletal muscle fibres it innervates
What does the number of fibres per motor unit depend on?
The functions served by the muscle
Muscles which serve fine movements e.g. _______ will have ______ fibres per motor
external eye muscles
muscles of facial expression
muscles in fingers
FEWER
A muscle fibre =
A muscle cell
A skeletal muscle consists of ______1_______ bundled by connective tissue. The fibres usually extend ____2_______
1) fibres/cells
2) whole length of the muscle
What are myofibrils?
Each muscle cell contains these which are specialised contractile intracellular structures
Myofibrils have alernating segments of thick __1____ which appear dark and thin __2______ filaments which appear light
1) myosin
2) actin
Within each myofibril actin and myosin are arranged into_____
sarcomeres
What is a functional unit? What is the functional unit of muscle
Sarcomeres- smallest components capable of forming all the functions of that organ
Where is a sarcomere found?
Between 2 Z lines
Z lines connect________
the thin filaments of two adjoining sarcomeres
Describe the four zones of the sarcomere
I band- part of thin filament not in the A band
M line- line extends vertically down
H band- middle area where thin filament doesn’t reach
A band- area were thick and thin filament are overlapping
What produces muscle tension?
Sliding of actin filaments on myosin filaments
What is ATP required for?
Both contraction and relaxation of muscle
What is calcium required for?
To switch on cross bridge formation
What is excitation contraction coupling?
The process whereby the surface action potential results in activation of the contractile structures of the muscle fibre
Describe the seven steps of muscular contraction
1) Ach released by axon of motor neurone crosses cleft and binds to receptors on motor end plate
2) Action potential generated in response to binding of Ach and end plate potential is propagated across surface membrane and down T tubules of muscle cell
3) Action potential in t tubules triggers Ca release from SR
4) Ca released binds to troponin on actin filaments resulting in tropomyosin being moved aside to uncover cross-bridge binding sites on actin
5) Myosin cross bridges attach to actin and bend, pulling actin filaments toward centre of sarcomere powered by energy from ATP
6) Ca is actively taken up by sarcoplasmic reticulum when there is no longer local action potential
7) With Ca no longer bound to troponin, tropomyosin slips back to its blocking position over binding sites on actin contraction ends and actin passively slides back to original resting position
Where is end plate potential sent down?
T tubules
Gradation of skeletal muscle tension depends on two primary factors which are?
1- number of muscle fibres contracting within the muscle
2- tension developed by each contracting muscle fibre
If a skeletal muscle is stimulated once a _____1____ is produces this produces little __2____
1) single contraction called a twitch
2) tension
Tension developed by skeletal muscles increases with increasing ________
frequency of stimulation
A sustained much longer contraction will be produced is skeletal muscle if stimulated _______
very rapidly with no opportunity to relax between stimuli
Difference between tension in skeletal and cardiac muscle?
Cardiac muscle has a refractory period and cannot be tetanised as this would stop it being able to pump, skeletal muscle can have sustained tension and be tetanised
When is skeletal muscle approximately at its optimal length?
At rest
What are the two types of skeletal muscle contraction?
Isotonic
Isometric