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2) Thin fiber made of actin = two F-actin polymers twisted around each other
Tropomyosin protein wraps around actin and troponin binds tropomyosin (Fig 12.4b)
Myosin heads bind actin, forming crossbridges. Myosin can walk along actin, moving the
actin filaments (slide)
The fibers are found in regular, repeating arrangements called sarcomeres. Sarcomeres are
what make the muscle look striated (Fig 12.5)
The Z lines are the ends of each sarcomere
Video of muscle contraction
Clicker question
How muscles generate force
During a muscle contraction, the myosin heads walk along actin filaments, bringing the ends
of the sarcomere (Z lines) closer together. This is known as the sliding filament model.
Fig 12.6
Note: The myosin and actin fibers are not changing length, they are just sliding past each other,
which shortens the sarcomere.
How does myosin walk along actin?
This is called the crossbridge cycle and requires ATP hydrolysis. Basically, the myosin head
will bind actin, then the head will pivot (the power stroke), moving the actin with it. After
binding an ATP, the myosin will then release actin and reattach further down the actin filament
for another stroke. (Fig 12.7 + animation)
Why dont filaments slide all the way back to their original position each time a myosin head
releases?
Excitation-contraction coupling
Clicker question review
Now we know how myosin and actin are able to generate force in muscles, but we also know
that muscle contraction only happens when a motor neuron releases ACh onto the muscle.
How does excitation of the muscle (via ACh binding receptors) couple to muscle contraction?
1) Motor neuron releases ACh onto muscle
2) nAChR open, let in Na+ which depolarizes muscle (always excitatory)
3) Voltage gated Na+ channels open in muscle muscle AP (same as neuron AP)
Release of ACh onto muscle always triggers AP (unlike neuronal graded potential)
4) AP travels down T-tubule into interior of muscle
5) AP causes calcium (Ca+2) release channels to open in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), which
stores high concentrations of Ca+2 (calcium goes down concentration gradient into cytoplasm)
6) Calcium from SR floods cytoplasm, binds troponin and exposes myosin binding site on actin
7) Myosin walks down actin filaments, decreasing length of sarcomere (Fig 12.8)
When the motor neuron stops firing action potentials, ACh will be degraded by AChE and the
muscle will return to its resting state by pumping Ca+2 back into the SR and tropomyosin will
cover actin again, so myosin cant bind.
*Summary animation posted on bCourses
Clicker question
Muscle metabolism
Muscle contraction requires a lot of ATP (why?) and it must be readily available.
Review of aerobic vs anaerobic respiration (Fig 12.22)
Muscles have a small amount of ATP ready at rest, but they also store energy in the bonds of a
molecule called creatine phosphate.
When a muscle cell is working, ADP levels rise, which drives the reaction to the right, making
ATP
During exercise, the energy from creatine phosphate will last for less than a minute, but this is
enough time for cellular respiration to increase ATP production.
At first the muscles use their own stores of glycogen to supply glucose for cellular respiration,
but after those stores are used up, they get glucose and fatty acids delivered by the blood
During strenuous exercise, there isnt enough oxygen to support oxidative phosphorylation, so
the muscles must rely on anaerobic glycolysis as well. (Fig 12.23)
Which athletes would benefit the most from creatine supplements? (slide)