Q2-MB9/Smooth and Heart Muscle Flashcards
What are the 2 types of smooth muscle?
visceral (single unit) and multiunit
how do single unit smooth muscle cells work?
In single-unit smooth muscle cells, the cells are electrically coupled so that electrical stimulation of one cell is followed by stimulation of adjacent smooth muscle cells.
how do multiunit smooth muscle cells work?
multiunit smooth muscle cells are made of cells that rarely have gap junctions, therefore they are not electrically coupled
What is the difference in control between multiunit and visceral smooth muscle cells?
multiunit cells are neurogenic (controlled by nerves) and visceral cells are myogenic (controlled by local factors, stretch, hormones)
What is the difference in innervation between multiunit and visceral smooth muscle cells?
multiunit cells have rich inneravation while visceral cells have sparse innervation
What is the difference in neuromusclar junctions between multiunit and visceral smooth muscle cells?
multiunit cells have well developed neuromusclar junctions while visceral cells have poorly developed neuromuscular junctions
What is the difference in spontaneity between multiunit and visceral smooth muscle cells?
multiunit cells have no spontaneous activity while visceral cells have some pacemaker cells
What is the difference in electrical coupling between multiunit and visceral smooth muscle cells?
multiunit cells have no electrical coupling between cells and visceral cells do have gap junctions that allow for electrical coupling
What is the difference in action potentials between multiunit and visceral smooth muscle cells?
multiunit cells have no action potentials while visceral cells have action potentials and slow waves
Why does smooth muscle have no striations?
actin and myosin filaments are less regularly arranged
In smooth muslce, actin filaments are anchored to ________
dense bodies (anchoring site of actin)
Are there T tubules in smooth muscle cells?
no
is there troponin in smooth muscle cells?
no
how developed is the sarcoplasmic reticulum in smooth muscle cells?
poorly developed SR
Where does most of the Ca++ needed for contraction come from in smooth muscle cells?
extracellular fluid
The thin filaments of smooth muscle have an _______ and _______ composition and structure similar to that in skeletal muscle
actin, tropomyosin
crossbridge formation in smooth muscles isnt regulated by the troponin-tropomyosin complex, but instead by the regulatory protein ____________
calmodulin
Explain how excitation-contraction coupling works in smooth muscle.
- calcium binds to calmodulin
- calcium-calmodulin complex activates myosin light chain kinase, which activates myosin allowing crossbridges to form
- phosphorylated crossbridges cycle until they are dephosphorylated by myosin phosphatase
- myosin ATPase activity is slow and muscle contraction is slow and sustained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2GchCG-KHI

Explain plasticity in smooth muscles.
stretch causes contraction (autoregulation of blood flow) but sustained stretch causes relaxation (urinary bladder)
Where do heart muscle cells join at?
intercalated discs

heart muscle cells are joined at intercalated discs which have ________ of low _______ resistance
intercalated discs, gap junctions, electrical
compared to skeletal and smooth muscle, the SR in heart cells is ________ in development
intermediate
sometimes in heart muscle cells, there is only 1 _________ per T tubule, and the tubules occur at the _________
terminal cisterna, Z line

Where does calcium come from in heart muscle cells?
SR, extracellular fluid during action potential