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Lecture 21

The document discusses the physiology of muscle fiber contraction. It describes the sliding filament theory where thin filaments slide past thick filaments, causing muscle contraction. It outlines the three phases of muscle contraction: 1) excitation where a neuron activates the muscle fiber, 2) excitation-contraction coupling where calcium is released to allow contraction, and 3) contraction via cross-bridge cycling between actin and myosin fibers.

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68 views4 pages

Lecture 21

The document discusses the physiology of muscle fiber contraction. It describes the sliding filament theory where thin filaments slide past thick filaments, causing muscle contraction. It outlines the three phases of muscle contraction: 1) excitation where a neuron activates the muscle fiber, 2) excitation-contraction coupling where calcium is released to allow contraction, and 3) contraction via cross-bridge cycling between actin and myosin fibers.

Uploaded by

vinnie0905
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Overview

Physiology of muscle fiber:


Muscles: • Sliding filament theory
Physiology • Excitation
• Excitation-Contraction coupling
10/28/09 • Contraction

Muscle physiology Sliding filament theory


• Thin filaments slide past thick filaments
How exactly do we move our muscles?

thin
How do muscles contract? thick

sarcomere

1
Sliding filament theory Sliding filament theory
• Thin filaments slide past thick filaments • Thin filaments slide past thick filaments

• Thick • Thin
Relaxed muscle
– Myosin – Actin H
• Actin binding site – Trypomyosin I A I

ATP binding site – Troponin: Ca2+


Contracted muscle:
myosin head of thick filament
binds to actin of thin filament
I A I  slide

What triggers the muscle contraction?


Figure 9.3 Figure 9.6

Physiology of muscle contraction Phase 1. Excitation:


(fibers) Neuron activates muscle fiber
1. Motor neuron in spinal cord sends signal (action
potential - AP) to muscle fiber at neuromuscular
junction (NMJ).

3 phases: Motor neuron


(axon)
1. Excitation: neuron activates muscle fiber Action potential
(AP)
2. Excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling
3. Contraction: cross bridge activity Muscle fiber
Neuromuscular
junction (NMJ)

Figure 9.9

2
Phase 1. Excitation: Phase 2. Excitation-contraction coupling
Neuron activates muscle fiber
Sarc AP
2. ACh is released and binds to sarcolemma receptors. olem
ma
1. Action potential (AP) travels
3. Na+ enters muscle fiber.
to T tubules.
4. Membrane potential changes  AP
2. Ca++ released from SR
enters T tubules.

T-tubule
Motor neuron NMJ
(axon terminal) 3. Ca++ binds to troponin 
ACh removes tropomyosin block
on actin. Actin blocked
Excitation-contraction 4. Myosin head binds to actin.
Na+
coupling is triggered. Ca++ bind to
AP
troponin, actin
unblocked
Sarcolemma Muscle fiber Contraction begins.
receptor Myosin binds
Figure 9.9 Figure 9.11 to actin

Phase 3. Contraction:
Homeostatic imbalance
Cross bridge cycle
of cross bridge activity
1. Cross bridge formation
• Rigor mortis: after death, calcium, no ATP,
2. Power stroke (“sliding”) irreversible cross bridges, stiffness
3. Detachment using ATP
4. Cocking of head • Tetanus: infection caused by Clostridium
tetani bacterium (rusty nails), motor
neurons not regulated, powerful
uncontrolled contractions (aka lockaw
thin
thick and TMJ syndrome)
sarcomere
Figure 9.12

3
Summary I Next time
• Motor neurons send signals to excite muscle
fibers. This is coupled to muscle contraction
where thin filaments slide over thick filaments. • Contraction of the whole muscle
• Energy source for muscle contraction

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