PHBG2616

Chapter 8

Practise 2

1. A motor unit refers to

a. a single motor neuron plus all of the muscle fibers it innervates
b. a single muscle fiber plus all of the motor neurons that innervate it
c. all of the motor neurons supplying a single muscle
d. a pair of antagonistic muscles
e. a sheet of smooth muscle cells connected by gap junctions

2. In twitch summation, the muscle fiber

a. is stimulated again before the fibers returns to resting potential.
b. is stimulated again before it completely returns to resting position.
c. contracts stronger but stronger action potentials do not occur.
d. experiences a and b
e. experiences b and c

3. Twitch summation
a. is a means by which gradation of muscle contraction may be accomplished
b. results from the additional release of Ca2+ within the cytosol of muscle fibers
c. results from increasing the frequency at which motor units are firing within a muscle
d. results from more cross bridges binding to actin within muscle fibers
e. has all of the above characteristics

4. Twitch summation
a. results from increases in cytosolic calcium levels
b. results from pumping of calcium into the sarcoplasmic reticulum
c. can be enhanced by allowing a cell to completely relax
d. rarely results in tetany
e. is not characterized by any of the above

5. To pick up something heavier than your pencil, your nervous system could
a. stimulate larger motor units
b. decrease the frequency of stimulation to allow a more prolonged contraction to occur
c. decrease the refractory periods
d. block acetylcholinesterase at the neuromuscular junction to allow acetylcholine to function longer
e. do all of the above

6. Based on the length-tension relationship,

a. stretching a skeletal muscle 30% longer than the lo results in a greater contraction
b. varying the amount of overlap of thick and thin filaments does not greatly affect contraction force
as long as tension remains the same
c. more tension develops if a muscle is 30% shorter than its resting length
d. muscle tension remains the same as long as the muscle's length is not more than 30% of the
resting length.
e. a resting muscle that is shorter or longer than its lo will generate less tension at the onset of
contraction.
7. Picking up a book at a constant speed requires that
a. muscle tension be equal to the book's weight
b. the muscle perform an eccentric contraction
c. the muscle perform an isometric contraction
d. the muscle perform a concentric contraction
e. both a and d occur

8. Muscle tension
a. is created when tension generated by sarcomeres is transmitted via the connective tissue and
tendons to the bones
b. is the force exerted on a muscle by the weight of an object
c. is greater than the load during an isometric contraction
d. is all of the above
e. is none of the above

9. The origin of a muscle is its

a. main, thickest part
b. middle, thinner part
c. movable end of attachment
d. source of development in the fetus
e. stationary end of attachment

10. During an isotonic contraction,

a. sarcomeres do not shorten in the muscle
b. movement does not occur inside the muscle
c. the muscle does not change length
d. the muscle's tension does not overcome a load
e. the muscle's tension remains constant

11. During an isometric contraction, the muscle

a. maintains a constant tension
b. shortens
c. moves a body part
d. maintains a constant length
e. tension is greater than the load

12. With eccentric muscle contractions,

a. development of tension occurs at constant muscle length
b. muscles lengthen while contracting
c. muscles shorten while contracting
d. muscle length and tension vary throughout a range of motion
e. none of the above occur

13. Submaximal isometric contractions are important for

a. moving large objects
b. walking
c. maintaining posture
d. writing
e. both a and b
14. Muscles developing tension while lengthening are performing ____ contractions.
a. concentric
b. eccentric
c. isometric
d. fatiguing
e. oscillating

15. In a muscle fiber undergoing maximal tetanic stimulation, the velocity of shortening ____ as the
load ____.
a. decreases; decreases
b. decreases; increases
c. increases; increases
d. remains constant; increases
e. remains constant; decreases

16. If the load on a muscle is increased, eventually a load will be reached at which the velocity of
shortening becomes zero. At this point, the muscle contraction is referred to as
a. concentric
b. eccentric
c. isotonic
d. isokinetic
e. isometric

17. Energy sources available to form ATP in muscle fibers in the absence of oxygen include
a. creatine phosphate
b. chemiosmosis
c. glycolysis
d. creatine phosphate and glycolysis
e. chemiosmosis and glycolysis

18. The first means by which ATP is produced at the onset of contractile activity is
a. transfer of energy and phosphate from creatine phosphate to ADP
b. oxidative phosphorylation
c. glycolysis
d. degradation of myoglobin
e. none of these

19. During aerobic exercise, the primary means for ATP production in muscle fibers involves
a. creatine phosphate
b. fermentation
c. oxidative phosphorylation
d. glycolysis
e. myoglobin

20. Myoglobin
a. can store small amounts of O2
b. increases the rate of O2 transfer from the blood into muscle fibers
c. is abundant in fast-glycolytic fibers
d. can perform a and b
e. has characteristics a and c
21. Select the correct statement about the summation of simple twitches.
a. They can occur because of the long duration of the action potential in a muscle fiber.
b. They reduce the tension in a muscle.
c. They result from the slow stimulation of a muscle fiber.
d. The effect is unrelated to the refractory periods of action potentials.
e. The twitches resulting from separate action potentials.

22. Which of the following statements about the different types of muscle fibers is incorrect?
a. The higher the ATPase activity, the faster the speed of contraction.
b. Muscles with a high glycolytic capacity and large glycogen stores are more resistant to fatigue.
c. Muscles with high ATP-synthesizing ability are more resistant to fatigue.
d. Oxidative types of muscle fibers contain myoglobin.
e. Muscle fibers containing large amounts of myoglobin have a dark red color in comparison to the
paler fibers, which have little myoglobin.

23. Fast-glycolytic (type IIx) muscle fibers

a. have high myosin-ATPase activity
b. can carry out oxidative phosphorylation
c. fatigue rapidly
d. contain myoglobin
e. have all of the above characteristics

24. Fast-oxidative (type IIa) fibers

a. contain very few mitochondria
b. can be converted into fast-glycolytic fibers by regular resistance activities
c. are most abundant in muscles specialized for maintaining low-intensity contractions for long
periods of time without fatigue
d. have characteristics b and c
e. have none of the above characteristics

25. The muscle cells of a marathon runner's legs would exhibit all these characteristics except
a. high resistance to fatigue
b. low myoglobin content
c. low glycogen content
d. many mitochondria
e. slow speed of contraction

26. Fatigue is the failure of a muscle fiber to maintain ____ as a result of previous contractile activity.
a. excitability
b. muscle mass
c. tension
d. sarcomere number
e. mitochondria

27. Muscular fatigue can be caused by

a. lactic acid accumulation
b. depletion of ATP
c. depletion of ACh
d. only two of the above
e. a, b, or c
28. Which of the following does not directly influence motor neurons?
a. primary motor cortex
b. cerebellum
c. brain stem
d. afferent neurons (through intervening interneurons)
e. None of the above

29. When a muscle atrophies, its muscle fibers

a. split lengthwise
b. decreases in mass and becomes weaker
c. increase in diameter
d. undergo mitotic cell division
e. dissolve and are replaced by fibrous scar tissue

30. In the body's lever systems, the fulcrums are represented by the
a. joints
b. long bones
c. tendons
d. short bones
e. skeletal muscles

31. With the type of lever system exemplified by flexion of the elbow joint, when an object is held in
the hand, the
a. power arm of the lever is the distance between the elbow joint and the insertion of the biceps
muscle
b. load arm of the lever is the distance between the elbow joint and the hand
c. velocity and distance moved by the hand is amplified at the expense of the biceps muscle having
to exert considerably greater force than the actual load that is moved
d. answers a, b, and c are correct
e. answers a and b are the only correct answers

32. Which statement below is characteristic of most of the body's lever systems?
a. They work at mechanical advantage.
b. They work at a mechanical disadvantage.
c. Muscles must exert greater forces than the load.
d. Both a and b
e. Both b and c

33. Enlargement of muscle due to weight lifting is primarily a result of

a. enlargement of individual myofilaments
b. hyperplasia
c. increased production of actin and myosin
d. increases in the number of cells
e. Both b and d

34. The corticospinal system

a. consists of fibers originating in the primary motor cortex and terminating on motor neurons
b. involves the motor regions of the cortex, cerebellum, basal nuclei, and thalamus
c. is primarily concerned with regulation of body posture
d. has characteristics a and b
e. has characteristics b and c

35. Conscious initiation of muscle contraction is controlled by

a. the spinal cord
b. the brain stem
c. the cerebral cortex
d. the thalamus
e. none of the above

36. Spastic paralysis occurs when

a. descending excitatory pathways are destroyed
b. excitatory inputs to motor neurons are unopposed because of disruption of an inhibitory system
in the brain stem
c. muscle spindles are destroyed
d. the cerebellum is damaged
e. the motor neurons are destroyed

37. During coactivation,

a. all muscle fibers in a skeletal muscle are activated simultaneously
b. the gamma motor-neuron and alpha motor-neuron systems to a skeletal muscle are activated
simultaneously
c. all cross bridges within a single skeletal muscle are activated simultaneously
d. the primary (annulospiral) and secondary (flower-spray) endings within a muscle spindle are
activated simultaneously
e. none of the above occur

38. Intrafusal muscle fibers

a. are supplied by alpha motor neurons
b. are found within muscle spindles
c. contain sensory nerve endings that are activated by stretch
d. have characteristics a and c
e. have characteristics b and c

39. The stretch receptors in the central portion of the muscle spindle can be activated by
a. passive stretch of the whole muscle, including stretch of the muscle spindle
b. contraction of the end portions of the muscle spindle
c. gamma motor neuron stimulation of the muscle spindle
d. all of the above
e. none of the above

39. Stretch reflexes are important for

a. maintaining balance and posture
b. providing afferent information to the primary motor cortex
c. determining which skeletal muscles will be used for a certain activity.
d. both a and b
e. both b and c

40. Calcium turns on cross bridges by physically repositioning the troponin-tropomyosin complex to
uncover the actin cross-bridge binding sites in
a. skeletal muscle
b. cardiac muscle
c. smooth muscle
d. striated muscle
e. all of the above except c

41. Choose the false statement about smooth muscle.

a. It is under involuntary control.
b. It does not have troponin.
c. Its contraction is initiated neurogenically only.
d. It is found in walls of hollow tube-like organs.
e. It is innervated by the ANS.

42. Cardiac muscle tissue

a. has well developed sarcoplasmic reticulum
b. has fast myosin ATPase activity
c. contracts only when stimulated neurogenically
d. has gap junctions
e. stores calcium in its T tubules

43. The regulation of smooth muscle contraction is mediated by the phosphorylation of ____ in
response to calcium binding to ____.
a. myosin; calmodulin
b. actin; calmodulin
c. troponin; calmodulin
d. myosin; troponin
e. actin; troponin

44. Select the correct statement regarding smooth muscle.

a. It composes the walls of the heart.
b. It is absent in the walls of hollow organs.
c. Its cells are multinucleated.
d. Its cells are spindle-shaped.
e. Its cells lack actin and myosin.

45. ____ is not required for contraction of smooth muscle fibers.

a. Calcium
b. Calmodulin
c. Phosphate
d. ATP
e. Troponin

46. Calcium that enters the cell during smooth muscle excitation binds with
a. calmodulin
b. inactive myosin kinase
c. troponin
d. myosin
e. actin

47. Which of the following muscle types are myogenic?

a. cardiac muscle
b. single-unit smooth muscle
c. multi-unit smooth muscle
d. Both a and b
e. Both b and c

48. Multi-unit smooth muscle is

a. neurogenically activated
b. under ANS control
c. found in the iris of the eye
d. all of the above
e. none of the above

49. Single-unit smooth muscle

a. contains an abundance of gap junctions
b. is self-excitable
c. is found in the walls of the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts and small blood vessels
d. forms functional syncytia
e. has all of the above characteristics

50. A functional syncytium

a. is a pair of antagonistic muscles causing a joint to move in opposite directions
b. is able to contract as a unit because action potentials move between adjacent cells through gap
junctions
c. is a functional junction between a smooth muscle fiber and an autonomic nerve ending
d. is all of the above
e. is none of the above

51. What is responsible for initiating contraction of smooth muscle?

a. Stimulation by motor neurons
b. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase
c. Membrane potential drifting to threshold as a result of automatic changes in ion movement across
the membrane
d. Excitation of the gap junctions by a transmitter substance
e. Stimulation by the autonomic nervous system

52. Repaying the oxygen deficit after strenuous exercise involves

a. formation of lactate in the muscle cells
b. replenishing stores of creatine phosphate and glycogen
c. unloading oxygen from myoglobin
d. all of the above
e. both b and c

53. Pacemaker activity refers to spontaneous depolarizations resulting from

a. shifts in passive ionic fluxes accompanying
b. cyclical changes in Na+-K+ pump activity
c. automatic changes in channel permeability
d. both a and b
e. both a and c

54. Which statement is incorrect about smooth muscle?

a. It develops less tension per unit cross-sectional area compared to skeletal muscle.
b. It can maintain tension with comparatively less ATP consumption than skeletal muscle.
c. It lacks troponin.
d. The range of lengths over which it can develop near maximal tension is greater than for skeletal
muscle.
e. In the walls of a hollow organ it can accommodate variable volumes with little change in the
pressure exerted on the organ's contents.

55. A functional syncytium of cardiac muscles cells means that they

a. are striated
b. exhibit muscle tone
c. have a short refractory period
d. lack the stimulation of a pacemaker
e. work as a unit mechanically and electrically

56. Which one of the following statements about cardiac muscle is incorrect?
a. It contains gap junctions.
b. It is found only in the heart
c. It is self-excitable.
d. It is striated with intercalated disks.
e. It lacks tropomyosin.

57. Dihydropyridine receptors are most closely associated with

a. neuromuscular junctions
b. axon terminals
c. T tubules
d. myosin-binding sites
e. ATPase sites

58. Which of the following is most closely associated with a skeletal muscle fiber's latent period?
a. hyperpolarization
b. relaxation
c. diffusion of calcium out of the SR's lateral sacs
d. development of tension
e. shortening of the muscle fiber

59. Considering muscles, bones, and joints as lever systems, a calculated "moment" for the load
would be
a. force times load arm
b. force times power arm
c. load arm divided by force
d. either a and b
e. either b and c