Physiology Of Skeletal Muscle Flashcards
Why must resting muscle membrane potential exist for an action potential to occur?
AP is the change in voltage, if the action potential does not exist, the voltage cannot be changed/depolarized
Action potential and release of neurotransmitter chemical is controlled by
Nervous system
What do ligand gated ion channels bind to in postsynaptic membrane?
Neurotransmitter chemical, Ach
In the post synaptic membrane, what ion does the voltage gated ion channels allow to cross?
Na+
What are the two stages of action potential
Depolarization and repolarization
What event makes the membrane less polar (<-85mV)
Depolarization
What mark does depolarization need to reach in order to propagate an action potential
Threshold
Define repolarization
Return to resting membrane potential
Briefly describe how Ach and Na+ work to depolarize a myofiber
Ach is released from presynaptic terminal in response to an AP.
Ach binds to Ach receptor site on ligand gated ion channels.
This allows Na+ to enter the cell (polarity is changed slightly)
Once the polarity is changed enough by the Na+, voltage gated Na+ channels open up and allow more Na+ to enter the cell
This initiates an AP that is propogated along the membrane of the T-tubules.
What ion enters the presynaptic terminal to trigger the release of Ach by synaptic vesicles and how does it enter the cell?
Ca++ enters the cell when an AP reaches the presynaptic terminal and opens voltage gated Ca++ channels
What is the definition of excitation-contraction coupling
Mechanism where an action potential causes muscle fiber contraction
Describe a triad
A triad consists of a t-tubule, and it’s two adjacent terminal cisternae
What organelle has specialized Ca ion release mechanisms
Sarcoplasmic reticulum, terminal cistern are
Describe how the action potential of the t tubule encourages muscle cntx
The terminal cisternae are so close to the t tubule that the AP propogated along the membrane of the t tubule opens up voltage gated Ca++ channels in the terminal cisternae.
The Ca++ then binds to the troponin which reveals the active sites and allows myosin/actin cross bridges to form.
How does the Sarcoplasmic reticulum have so much Ca++
An active transport pump works continuously to stockpile Ca++ inside the terminal cisternae
Which chemical does Ca++ bind to on the actin myofilament?
Troponin
How does Ca++ binding to the troponin allow muscle cntx?
When Ca++ binds to the troponin, it slides the troponin-tropomysin complex into the groove of the g-actin chains and the active sites are revealed where cross bridges can form
Name the enzyme connected to the myosin heads that breaks ATP apart to cock the head
ATPase
each actin myofilament is composed of
2 strands of fibrous actin (f actin)
a series of tropomyosin molecules
a series of troponin molecules
how are the strands of f actin arranged?
double helix
each f actin strand is a polymer of
globular actin (g actin)
each g actin monomer has a(n) __________ to which myosin molecules form crossbridges
active site
what molecule covers seven G actin active sites
tropomyosin
troponin is composed of three subunits, what do they bind to?
one binds to actin
one binds to tropomyosin
one is a binding site for Ca++
myosin molecules are shaped like
golf clubs
each myosin molecule is composed of
two myosin heavy chains wound together to form a rod portion
two myosin heads that extend laterally
4 myosin light chains attached to the head of each myosin head
the heads of the myosin myofilaments are _____ enzymes that break down _______
ATPase
ATP
what changes the permeability of SMF
opening and closing of voltage-gated ion channels
repolarization results from the closing of _____________ and the opening of ____________ so that ____ stops moving into the cell and more ____ moves out of the cell
v-gated Na+ channels
v-gated K+ channels
Na+
K+
describe the all-on-none principle in regards to APs
a stimulus strong enough (or even much stronger) to reach threshold, all the permeability changes happen and an AP is produced; if the stimulus is too weak to reach threshold, none of the permeability changes happen and the membrane returns to the resting membrane potential without producing an AP
action potentials propogate by
triggering neighboring APs, not by actually traveling along the plasma membrane
action potential frequency
the number of APs produced per unit of time
AP frequency increases as the strength of the stimulus
increases, once its reached threshold
what ion crosses the membrane via of the presynaptic terminal to initiate the release of synaptic vesicles
Ca++
what causes Ca++ to move into the presynaptic terminal
an AP that was propagated down the axon opens voltage gated Ca++ channels so the Ca++ can diffuse into the cell