Human Physiology 

4PHYM001W 
Lecture 7 – Muscle 
Bradley Elliott b.elliott@westminster.ac.uk 
@Brads_Science 
 
Learning Outcomes 
1. Describe the functions and properties of 
skeletal 
muscle 
2. Explain excitation – contraction coupling 
3. Describe the theory of cross-bridge 
cycling 
4. Outline two ‘laws’ of muscle physiology 
 
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GREAT BRITAI 

FARAH 
 
Three types of muscle 
 
Functions of skeletal muscle tissue 
1. Movement 
2. Thermoregulation 
3. Metabolism 
4. Endocrinology 
 
Properties of muscle tissues 
1. Excitable Action potential propagating 
2. Contractile Create mechanical force on 
stimulation by action potentials3. Extensible 
Capable of stretching 
4. Elastic Capable of returning to original 
 
length 
 
– Non-contractile portions 
1. Epimysium 
2. Perimysium (fascicles) 
3. Endomysium 
 
Sarc: ‘flesh’. A prefix for muscle components 
 
a Merge 
PAX7 

YFP 
DAPI 
 
Anatomy of a sarcomere. Electron microscope image (above) and representative model of actin-myosin 
interaction in 2D (below). Myosin filaments represented in blue, actin in red. Electron microscope image 
modified from http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/ November 2008. 
 
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Thick filament (myosin) 
Thin filament (actin) 
I band 
Z disc 
H zone 
A band 
Z disc 
i band 
M line 

Sarcomere 
(a) Myofibril 
Thin filament (actin) , Thick filament (myosin) 
Titin filament 
Z disc 
M line 
Z disc 

0000000000 
Sarcomere 
H zone 

1 Zone of Foverlap 
1 
F 
Zone of overlap 

+ 
I band 
A band 
I band 
(b) Details of filaments and Z discs 
 
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Thick filament 
Myosin tail 
Myosin heads 
(a) A thick filament and a myosin molecule 
Actin 
Troponin 
Tropomyosin 
Myosin-binding site (covered by tropomyosin) 
(b) Portion of a thin filament 
 
Copyright © 2002 Dennis Kurikel Microscopy, Inc. / 
Dennis Kunkel 
 
Production of Force 
– Recall properties 1 & 2 (excitable & 
contractible) 
– Production of force by muscle requires 
understanding 
of two theories 
1. Excitation Contraction coupling 
2. Cross bridge cycling 
 
1. Excitation contraction coupling 
– How does an electrical event result in a 
contraction? 
– Recall muscle is excitable 
– Cellular anatomy characterized for 
contraction 
 
1. Excitation contraction coupling 
– Somatic motor units innervate myofibers 
– Action potentials triggered in the 
sarcolemma by 
action potential crossing the neural 
muscular junction – Action potential 
propagates alone a sarcolemma and 
down t – tubules running throughout cells 
– Triggers release of Ca++ from 
sarcoplasmic reticulum – Ca ++ binds 
troponin / tropomyosin complex, 
triggering cross-bridge cycling. 
 
 
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Axon collateral of somatic motor neuron 
Valge-cated 
Cq2 channel Margolemma 
Awon laiminal 

Axon mind – Narve impulse 

Synaptio veelale Contahing acetylchahe (Ach) SYNAPTIC GNO ALLA 

MOTOR END 
Muscle fiber 

wolon (NA) 
Myofibril in muscle fiber 
Sarcolemma 
Hard of the nouromusollar junction 
(Neuromudoular juncilor 
trom synaptia wakala 
SYNAPTIC END BULD 
Gyn pllo che 
Ach is broker down 
MOTOR END PLATE 

2 Ach unds to Ach 

Na 

Junallomal fold 
3 Munde lion 
polento produced 
(@binding of cylcholino to Ach reoppone In the motor and play 
 
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Sarcoplasmic reticulum 
Sarcolemma 
Myofibril 
Sarcoplasm 

UUTISE 
Nucleus 
Thick filament (myosin) 
Thin filament (actin) 
Triad: 
Transverse tubule 
Terminal cisterns 

Mitochondrion 
(c) Details of a muscle fiber 
Sarcomere 
 
<divo 

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Barcolemme 
Tranwa tubule 
Barooplamp ratiquium (BR) 
Terminal intern of SR 
ਿਵr - 
ਿਵ
tooOo oo 

200. oo 
Nucleus 
Z disc 

Membrane protein 
Thick filament 
Thin Z disc filament 

Dystrophin 
Sarcomere 
Myofibril 
Mitochondrion 
Myoglobin 
Glycogen granules 
Key: 

O = Ca2+ 
= Ca2+ active 
transport pumps < = Ca2+ release 
channels 

(d) Simplindia parantation of a muscle fiber 

 
2. Cross-bridge cycling 
– In the presence of all the necessary 
ingredients, 
sarcomeres will contract continuously 
– ATP, Ca++, Mg+ 
– Removal of any one will stop cycle 
 
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Key: 
E 

O = Ca2+ 
Myosin heads hydrolyze ATP and become reoriented and energized 
(ADP 
www. 

Myosin heads bind to actin, forming cross-bridges 

ATP 
Contraction cycle continues if ATP is available and Ca2+ level in 
sarcoplasm is high 
ADP 

As myosin heads bind A 

As myosin heads bind ATP, the cross-bridges detach from actin 

ATP] LE 
T 
! 
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ADP) 
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W 

3 Myosin cross-bridges 
rotate toward center of sarcomere (power stroke) 
 
 
Length tension relationship 
– The ability of a muscle to produce force is 
a function of the muscle’s length whilst 
contracting 
– Typically, maximal force occurs in the 
midrange of a contraction movement 
n o i t c u d o r p e c r o F 
Muscle length 
 
 
Force Summation 
– Twitch force is the sum of all the force of 
an entire 
motor unit’s contraction 
– Recruitment of motor units is force 
dependent 
– Henneman’s size principle – Smallest → 
largest – Size principle of motor units 
– Force summation allows the modulation 
of muscle 
force 
 
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– 
- 
Myograms 
– 
- 
– 
- 
– 
- 
– 
- 
= 

– 
- 
= 

Force of contraction - 
– 
- 
= 

– 
- 
- 

– 
- 
– 
- 
– 
- 
+ 
t 
– 
- 

பாேவ பட பப பட Uே◌UUUUUUU 
Action | potential 
- 
– 1- 
- 
+ 
Time (msec) - 

(a) Single twitch 

(b) Wave summation 
(c) Unfused tetanus 

(d) Fused tetanus 

 
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Tension 
Time 
Motor unit 1 Recruited (small fibers) 
Motor unit 2 recruited (medium fibers) 
Motor unit 3 recruited (large fibers) 
 
Conclusions 
Can you? 
1. Describe the functions and properties of 
skeletal 
muscle 
2. Discuss excitation – contraction coupling 
& the 
cross-bridge cycle 
3. Discuss length – tension relationship and 
summation 
as physiological theories 
 
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