Smooth Muscle Physiology Flashcards
Where is smooth muscle located?
Walls of hollow organs, including blood vessels (except for capillaries).
What are the 8 smooth muscle-containing organs?
Blood vessels:
- controls diameter
- vascular resistance
- distribution of blood flow and blood pressure
- venous capacitance
- central venous pressure
Gastrointestinal tract:
- Controls mixing and propulsion of GI contents
Bladder (detrusor), ureters, urethra:
- Urine storage and micturition (urination)
Uterus (myometrium):
- Smooth muscle responsible for labour
Respiratory system:
- Controls diameter of airways
Vas deferens and corpus cavernosum:
- Delivery of sperm for ejaculation
Fallopian tube:
- Mediates movement of eggs from ovaries to uterus
Iris and ciliary body:
- Control pupil diameter and focussing of the lens
morphology of smooth muscle
not striates (smooth), worm-shaped
regulation of smooth muscle
- By the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
- By hormones and locally released substances (autacoids)
- In the GI tract, rhythmic contractions are initiated by pacemaker cells
what is the function of smooth muscle in iris and ciliary body
controls pupil diameter and focussing of lens
what is the function of smooth muscle in fallopian tube
mediates movement of eggs from ovaries to uterus
what is the function of smooth muscle in Vas deferens and corpus cavernosum
controls erection and ejaculation
what is the function of smooth muscle in uterus (myometrium)
responsible for labour
what is the function of smooth muscle in Bladder (detrusor), ureters, urethra
controls urine storage and micturition
what is the function of smooth muscle in GI tract
controls mixing and propulsion of GI contents
what is the role of smooth muscle in respiratory sysyem
controls diameter of airways
what is the role of smooth muscle in blood vessels
controls diameter, vascular resistance, distribution of blood flow and blood pressure
in veins it also control venous capacitance and central venous pressure
what is venous capacitance?
how much blood in the venous system
describe a large artery
low reisistance
conducting vessels
describe an arteriole
main reisstance vessels
control regional blood flow
describe a capillary
no smooth muscle
describe a venule
capacitance vessels
describe a large vein
low resistance
high capacitance vessels
2 types of Innervation of smooth muscle by the ANS
Multi-unit
Unitary
what is multi unit innervation fo smooth muscle by the ANS
Every smooth muscle cell has its own synaptic input
Allows for finer control of each muscle cell tone
IE: Iris, ciliary body, piloerector muscles
some vascular smooth muscle
what is unitary innervation fo smooth muscle by the ANS
Unitary
Not all cells have synaptic input, excitation is spread through tissue by gap junctions
Allows for co-ordinated contraction of many cells
GI tract, genitourinary, airways,
most vascular smooth muscle
UNITARY HAS GAP JUNCTIONS MULTI UNIT DOES NOT
in the structure of a smooth muscle, there are no sarcomeres or striations, instead there are?
Instead there are dense bodies and dense bands
what are Dense bands
Dense bands are protein aggregates that run along the surface of the cell
what are dense bands connected by
These are connected by intermediate filaments (protein filaments)
what are dense bodies made out of
The dense bodies are made out of the same protein that makes up the Z band in the sarcomere - this is called alpha actinin
what do dense bodies/ bands anchor
actin filament
whats the ration of actin: myosin in smooth muscle compared to striated muscle
higher actin:mysoin ratio compares to striated muscles
What does the sarcoplasmic reticulum store?
It both stores and release Ca2+.
What happens in smooth muscle contraction?
During contraction the cross bridge cycle brings these dense bodies closer together and because they’re dispersed through the cytoplasm, it shortens the cell and the cell also becomes fatter.
How are smooth muscle cells connected to neighbouring cells?
Via gap junctions.
What are the pathways for SKELETAL muscle contraction in striated muscle and how are they regulated?
What are the pathways for CARDIAC muscle contraction in striated muscle and how are they regulated?
What 2 ways is the contraction of smooth muscle regulated?
Autacoids
ANS
what is an Autacoids
Autacoids (also called local hormones): physiologically active factors released by cells which typically act in an autocrine or paracrine manner
what is the ANS
ANS: autonomic nervous system – a branch of the nervous system that controls the activity of the heart, visceral organs, blood vessels and glands
the contraction of smooth muscles throughout the body
is generally regulated by what?
by the ANS, by locally released factors, and by hormones.
what is the main stimulus for contraction in smooth muscles?
the main stimulus for contraction is noradrenaline released by the sympathetic nervous system, but vascular smooth muscle is also regulated by autacoids released from the vascular endothelium or from the tissues around the blood vessel, and also by hormones such angiotensin II.
What is the resting membrane potential range in blood vessels and airways?
Between -50 to -70 mV.
smooth muscles generate oscillations in membrane potential, what are these called
slow waves
Which types of smooth muscle generate slow waves, and what is their purpose
GI tract and uterus
out of GI tract and uterus, wich one is generated spontaneously and which one is driven by pacemaker cells
spontaneously = uterus
driven by pacemaker cells = GI tract
AP upstroke is due to what in smooth muscles?
voltage gated ca2+ channels
repolarisation is due to what in smooth muscles?
K+ channels