Smooth Muscle Flashcards
Purpose of Smooth Muscle
- shorten to provide motility
- change shape of organ
- maintain sustained contractions to maintain tone
Location of Smooth Muscle
walls of hollow organs & tubes
Ultrastructure of smooth muscle
Arterioles = circumfrential
Intestines = longitudinal on top & transverse on bottom
Testicular ducts = unique square shape
Structural Properties of Smooth M.
nonstriated, spindle-shaped, single nucleus, involuntary
Types of Electrical Coupling in Smooth M.
- Multi-unit
2. Single unit
Multi-unit electrical coupling
cells aren’t electrically linked & are independently stimulated
Multi-unit electrical coupling allows
fine control of contraction
Cells involved in multi-unit electrical coupling are
insulated from each other by collagen
Examples of smooth muscle with multi-unit electrical coupling
iris, ciliary bodies, uterus (when pregnant)
Single Unit Electrical Coupling
most common type
How does single-unit electrical coupling work?
AP spreads through gap junction & there is one varicosity per multiple cells
Single Unit Electrical Coupling contraction
cells contract simultaneously
Examples of Single Unit Smooth M. Electrical Coupling
GI tract, urinary bladder, blood vessels, uterus (close to parturition)
Smooth M. Contractile Behavior Classifications
- Tonic Smooth M.
2. Phasic Smooth M.
Tonic Smooth M.
normally contracted muscle that generates variable steady state force
Tonic smooth muscle responds
to graded changed in Vm. It is proportional to Vm
Phasic Smooth M. Characteristics
- rhythmic contractions (peristalsis)
- voluntary intermittent activity
- AP based
Smooth M. Contractile Arrangements
Scaffold System of intermediate filaments & dense bodies
intermediate filaments
- scaffold around smooth m. cells
- do NOT aid in contraction
location of intermediate filaments
under membrane & surrounding nucleus