Physiology week 14 Flashcards
What is the sarcolemma
Muscle cell fiber membrane
What is the sarcolemma composed of
- Plasma membrane
-Outer coat of polysaccharides and collagen fibrils,(which fuses with tendons to connect muscle to bones)
What does muscle fiberes contain
- Thusands of myofibrils
What are myofibrils made up of
- Actin and mysoin filaments
Why does myofibrils have a striated apperance
- Due to alternating light and dark bands
When does the greatest force of attraction occur
- When the actin and mysoin filaments just being to overlap
Where is Titin located
In muscle fibers
What is the function of Titin
- Maintain alignment of myosin and actin filaments
-Act as a spring, helping the sacromere to contract and relax
What does the sarcoplasm surround
- Myofibrils
What does the sarcoplasm contain
- High amounts of potassium,magnesium,phosphate and enzymes
-And mitochondria , which produce ATP for muscle contraction
What is the function of Sarcoplasmic retciulul
- Surrounds myofibrils
-Stores,releases and reabsorbs calcium
Explain the mechanism of a mucle contraction starting from an action potential
1.Action potential (AP) travels along a motor nerve
2.Nerve releases acetylcholine (ACh) at the neuromuscular junction.
3.ACh binds to receptors, opening ACh-gated cation channels.
4.Sodium (Na⁺) ions enter the muscle fiber, causing local depolarization.
5.Voltage-gated sodium channels open, generating an action potential in the muscle fiber.
6.Action potential spreads along the muscle membrane, reaching deep into the muscle.
7.Sarcoplasmic reticulum releases calcium (Ca²⁺) ions, triggering actin-myosin interaction.
8.Actin and myosin filaments slide past each other, leading to muscle contraction.
9.Calcium is pumped back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum, ending contraction until the next action potential.
What is myosin filaments composed of
-myosin molecules
What does each myosin molecule have and their function
- 2 heavy chains which form a double-helix tail and 2 globular heads
-4 Light chains : which help to regulate myosin head functiojn
What do myosin heads form
Crossbridges
Why do cross bridges have two hinges
- For flexibility, allowing head movement
What is the role of ATPase activity in the myosin heads
- Break down ATP to provide energy for contraction
What are Actin Filaments made of
- Actin
-Tropomyosin
-Troponin
Explain the structure of Actin backbone in actin filaments
- It is a double stranded F-actin helix made of G actin subunits
What does each G actin in Actin filaments have
ADP molecule that serves as an active site for myosin binding
What is the function of Tropomyosin
- Wraps around actin, blocking actin-myosin binding sites
What does troponin complex consits of and functions
- Troponin I: Binds to actin
-TnT: Binds to tropomyosin
-TnC: Binds to calcium ions , initiating contraction