Largest type of tissue in human body?
Muscle
Striated muscles? (2)
Skeletal + cardiac
What causes striations?
Myosin + actin
Skeletal muscle innervation? Cardiac muscle? Smooth muscle?
* cardiac + smooth = ANS
Differences between skeletal and cardiac muscle? (4)
Skeletal muscle
Cardiac
What is the neurotransmitter at neuromuscular junction?
Acetylcholine
Skeletal muscle fibres organised into? What is this?
Motor units
* Motor unit = single alpha motor neuron + skeletal muscle fibres it innervates
Number of muscle fibres per motor unit?
Levels of organisation in skeletal muscle?
Myofibril and sarcomeres made up of myocin and actin
How are skeletal muscles attached to skeleton?
Tendons
Functional units of muscle?
Sacromeres
Zones of the sarcomere? (4)
What is the definition of a functional unit?
the smallest component capable of performing all the functions of that organ
Where is sacromere found?
Between 2 z-lines
Muscle tension?
Produced by sliding of actin filaments on myocin filaments
Force generation depends on?
ATP-dependent interaction between myosin + actin
ATP only required for muscle contraction? Ca++?
ATP is required for both contraction & relaxation
* Ca++ is required to switch on cross bridge formation
Excitation contraction coupling?
process where surface action potential results in activation of the contractile structures of the muscle fibre
When is Ca++ released in skeletal muscle fibres? What are T-tubules?
In skeletal muscle fibres Ca2+ is released from the lateral sacs of the sarcoplasmic reticulum when the surface action potential spreads down the transverse (T)-tubules
* T-tubules are extensions of the surface membrane that dip into the muscle fibre
Explain process of muscle contraction + relaxation
Motor units? Motor unit recruitment? How can muscle fatigue be prevented?
What does tension developed by each contracting muscle fibre depend on?
How are stronger contractions in skeletal muscle brought about?
If restimulate muscle fibre before it has relaxed, 2nd twitch added on to first twitch resulting in summation
Tetanus contraction? Can this phenomenon occur in cardiac muscle?
Muscle fibre stimulated so rapidly that it does not relax at all between stimuli resulting in MAXIMAL SUSTAINED CONTRACTION