Elizabeth Nichols

Muscle System Lab Report

Fascicle is a group of muscles cell, which can be pulled apart to be called muscle
fibers, which are held together by connective tissue. These fascicles are what make up a
skeletal muscle, that attaches to the bones on the body. These muscles are usually long,
and thin, but when they contract the become short and thicker. Pulling apart the muscle
fiber to just see one, there are long fibers that are called: myofibrils. If a person was to look
at just one then, they would see that the myofibrils are separated into sections called
sarcomeres. These sarcomeres are composed out of thin and thick filaments. The thin
filaments are attached at the Z disks, and the thick filaments are in between the thin
filaments. When the filaments make contact to ATP, they use it and contract together. This
action is called sliding filament mechanism, where the Z disks slide closer together. The
ATP goes through transverse tubules, tubes that are in the membrane. The t tubes go
through every myofiber. The thick filaments are composed of myosin, which are long
proteins. The thin filaments are made of actin and a little troponin.

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/612646660362731520
Figure 1: A drawing of the skeletal muscle drawing. Drawing By: Elizabeth Nichols

Elizabeth Nichols
Muscle System Lab Report

In muscle contraction, the Z disks slide closer together. This is caused when the
filaments are exposed to ATP, which cause the filaments to shorten and pull closer
together. ATP goes through the transverse tubules, also called t tubes. When all the
sarcomere all together then the entire muscle contracts and pulls the muscle together.

A drawing of a relaxed skeletal muscle

Drawing by: Elizabeth Nichols

A drawing of a contracted skeletal muscle

Drawing by: Elizabeth Nichols

The rabbit muscle before ATP, before

contraction. Photo by Bethanie Ortiz

The Rabbit Muscle after ATP, after it has

contracted. Photo by: Bethanie Ortiz

In the rabbit muscle lab, the class learned how, in muscle contraction, the muscle
fibers grow in diameter but shrink in size, when ATP was added. This was due the thin
fibers sliding together and the pulling of thick fibers to move all the muscle together, and so
the muscle can move and contract to do the job the rabbit needs (to run, jump, ect.).

Elizabeth Nichols
Muscle System Lab Report

The rabbit lab percentage of contraction,

before and after ATP, and the degree of
contraction. Table by: Elizabeth Nichols

The dilation of the rabbit muscle, with both

the degree of dilation and percentage of
dilation. Table by: Elizabeth Nichols

The muscles are made up of many layers upon layers of fibers and filaments. The
fibers all contract, with the use of ATP, and allow for the entire muscle to contract. In the
rabbit lab we learned just how much a muscle could contract and what happened to the thin
and thick filaments when ATP was added to muscle. We also learned how the ATP got to
the muscle, through the transverse tubules. In the rabbit lab, we learned the percentage of
muscle can contact.

Elizabeth Nichols
Muscle System Lab Report

In a cross country runner, who have slower oxidative fibers, can run at a slower pace
but for a steady for a longer period of time. In a sprint runner, who have faster glycolytic
fibers in their muscles, which let them run faster for a shorter period of time. This is due to
the fibers. Slow oxidative fibers have have less force because of the ATP it can use at a
certain amount of time. The slow oxidative fibers can hold more ATP but has a harder time
to make up the ATP it uses so it makes a lot more during its rest time and stores it in the
muscles. The slower oxidative fibers are darker because of the more blood flow through
them, whereas the faster glycolytic fibers are lighter and have more myofibers. The faster
glycolytic fibers have more force due to the myofibers, while the oxidative fibers have a little
less force due to the constant ATP instead of the short burst in the fast glycolytic.

These are the results of the continuous grip lab. The lab was to test how long the muscle
can hold the sensor while it is tired. These are my own results.

This is the results of the repetitive grip lab, all these results are due to myself gripping the

Elizabeth Nichols
Muscle System Lab Report

sensor repetitively. The lab was to see the muscle tiring and how much force was left
after the muscles tired.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Slow Oxidative

Fast
Oxidative-Glycolytic

Fast Glycolytic

Fiber Diameter

Smallest

intermediate

Largest

Force

Lowest

Intermediate

Greatest

Myosin ATPase

Slowest

Intermediate

Fastest

Contraction Velocity

Slow

Faster

Fastest

Methods of ATP
Generation

Aerobic Respiration

Aerobic Respiration

Glycolysis

Glycogen Stores

High

Intermediate

Low

Capillaries

Many

Intermediate

Few

Myoglobin Content

High

Intermediate

Low

Color

Red Brown

Red-pink

White

One of the questions that I asked for the continuous grip lab and repetitive grip lab
was how much longer could a athlete hold the sensor compared to someone that does not
play sports. The muscles, if you dont use them, are weak and have a hard time moving and
doing exercise. Those who work out regularly, which athletes do, have an easier time doing
simple exercises, like holding onto a sensor for a long period of time. An athlete's muscles
can hold the sensor longer due to the athlete having stronger muscles because of
exercising.

Athlete
Female

183.8N

Male

328.7N

Female

184.9N

Male

Non-athlete

133N

Elizabeth Nichols
Muscle System Lab Report

This data was used from

the group data table. Table
by: Elizabeth Nichols
In all the labs, research, and cat labs, the class did, there was much information to
be learned. In the rabbit labs, the class had to do the research to find how muscle
contraction worked and how the muscle contraction was done and how certain filaments
worked together to pull the muscle close and contract. The class also did research in the
types of muscles, like fast and slow, oxidative and glycolytic. How slow oxidative fibers
make their own ATP but can only use it, usually slowly, but steadily and these are the
muscles cross country runners use. In glycolytic fibers, these are the muscles most sports
use, due to the fast use of ATP and how strong the muscles are. Though these muscles can
use much of the ATP quickly, the muscles cant go for as long as the slow oxidative fibers
could. The slower oxidative muscles tend to be darker due to the use of oxidative fibers.
The faster muscles tend to be stronger due to the faster using ATP quickly, rather than
using it conservatively as slow oxidative fibers did. In the constant and repetitive grip labs,
the class learned that how muscles can tired and how athletes can usually hold on longer
and harder than non-athletes. This is due to the athletes training and their muscles being
use to strained and pushed for longer than non-athletes. In the labs, we learned how
muscles contract, what different muscles do different things and how muscles from athletes
compare to non-athletes.