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E‐C Coupling and Cross Bridge Activity
E‐C Coupling
In order to contract, a skeletal muscle must:
o Be stimulated by a nerve ending
o Propagate an electrical current, or action
potential, along its sarcolemma
o Have a rise in intracellular Ca2+ levels, the
final trigger for contraction
Linking the electrical signal to the contraction is
excitation‐contraction coupling
E‐C Coupling
Invaginations of the sarcolemma form T tubules
These wrap around the sarcomeres and
penetrate into the cell’s interior at each A band
– I band junction
Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is an elaborate,
smooth endoplasmic reticulum that mostly
runs longitudinal and surrounds each myofibril
Paired terminal cisternae form perpendicular
cross channels
Functions in the regulation of intracellular
calcium levels
A triad is a T tubule and two terminal cisternae
Muscle Relaxation
Calcium ions are transported back into the
sarcoplasmic reticulum
Calcium ions diffuse away from troponin
and tropomyosin moves, preventing
further cross‐bridge formation
Muscle Tissue – Part IV Types of Muscle Contractions
Muscle Twitch
The contraction of a muscle as a result of one or more muscle fibers contracting
Has lag, contraction, and relaxation phases
Motor Units
Strength of Muscle Contraction
For a given condition, a muscle fiber or motor unit contracts with a consistent force in response to each action
potential
Multiple motor unit summation
For a whole muscle, stimuli of increasing strength results in graded contractions of increased force as more
motor units are recruited
Multiple‐wave summation
Stimulus of increasing frequency increase the force of contraction
Multiple‐Wave Summation
The force of contraction of a whole muscle increases with increased frequency of stimulation because of an
increasing concentration of Ca2+ around the myofibrils
Incomplete tetanus
Partial relaxation between contractions, and
Complete tetanus
No relaxation between contractions
Treppe
An increase in the force of contraction during the first few contractions of a rested muscle
Types of Muscle Contractions
Isometric contractions cause a change in muscle tension but no change in muscle length
Isotonic contractions cause a change in muscle length but no change in muscle tension
Concentric contractions are isotonic contractions that cause muscles to shorten
Eccentric contractions are isotonic contractions that enable muscles to shorten
Muscle tone is the maintenance of a steady tension for long periods
Asynchronous contractions of motor units produce smooth, steady muscle contractions
Fatigue
The decreased ability to do work
Can be caused by
The central nervous system (psychologic fatigue)
Depletion of ATP in muscles (muscular fatigue)
Physiologic contracture (the inability of muscles to contract or relax) and rigor mortis (stiff muscles after death)
result from inadequate amounts of ATP
Energy Sources
Creatine phosphate
ATP is synthesized when ADP reacts with creatine phosphate to form creatine and ATP
ATP from this source provides energy for a short time
Energy Sources
Anaerobic respiration
ATP synthesized provides energy for a short time at the beginning of exercise and during intense exercise
Produces ATP less efficiently but more rapidly than aerobic respiration
Lactic acid levels increase because of anaerobic respiration
Energy Sources
Aerobic respiration
Requires oxygen
Produces energy for muscle contractions under resting conditions or during endurance exercise
Muscle Fiber Type
The three main types of skeletal muscle fibers are
Slow‐twitch oxidative (SO) fibers
Fast‐twitch glycolytic (FG) fibers
Fast‐twitch oxidative glycolytic (FO) fibers
SO fibers contract more slowly than FG and FO fibers because they
have slower myosin ATPases than FG and FO fibers
Muscle Fiber Type
SO fibers maintain posture and are involved with prolonged exercise
Long‐distance runners have a higher percentage of SO fibers
FG fibers produce powerful contractions of short duration
Sprinters have a higher percentage of FG fibers
FO fibers support moderate‐intensity endurance exercises
Aerobic exercise can result in the conversion of FG fibers to FO fibers
Hypertrophy and Atrophy
Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of muscles
Due to an increase in the size of muscle fibers resulting from an increase in the number of myofibrils in the
muscle fibers
Aerobic exercise
Increases the vascularity of muscle
Greater hypertrophy of slow‐twitch fibers than fast‐twitch fibers
Intense anaerobic exercise
Greater hypertrophy of fast‐twitch fibers than slow‐twitch
Atrophy is a decrease in the size of muscle
Due to a decrease in the size of muscle fibers or a loss of muscle fibers
Muscle Tissue – Part V ‐ Smooth and Cardiac Muscle
Smooth Muscle Structure
Spindle‐shaped with a single nucleus
Have actin and myosin myofilaments
Actin myofilaments are connected to dense bodies and dense areas
Not striated
No T tubule system and most have less SR than skeletal muscle
No troponin
Types of Smooth Muscle
Visceral smooth muscle fibers have many gap junctions and contract as a single unit
Multiunit smooth muscle fibers have few gap junctions and function independently
Found in the walls of hollow visceral organs, such as the stomach, urinary bladder, and respiratory passages
Forces food and other substances through internal body channels
It is not striated and is involuntary
Regulation of Contraction
Contraction is involuntary
Multiunit smooth muscle contracts when externally stimulated by nerves, hormones, or other substances
Visceral smooth muscle contracts autorhythmically or when stimulated externally
Hormones are important in regulating smooth muscle
Cardiac Muscle Cells
Occurs only in the heart
Is striated like skeletal muscle but is not voluntary
Have a single nucleus
Connected by intercalated disks that allowing them to function as a single unit
Capable of autorhythmicity
Contracts at a fairly steady rate set by the heart’s pacemaker
Neural controls allow the heart to respond to changes in bodily needs