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Muscle Twitch and Muscle Tension - Motor unit size and force

By: HWC, Views: 7964

• A motor unit is a group of muscle cells controlled by a single neuron. • A stimulus of sufficient intensity will cause all the cells in the motor unit to contract. • A single contraction, caused by a single action potential, is called a muscle twitch. • Latent period: A brief per...

Muscle cell structures - actin, myosin and titin filaments

By: HWC, Views: 7873

Once the muscle cell has been excited it will contract. • A muscle action potential will trigger the release Of Ca2+ ions into the sarcoplasm. • The Ca2+ ions bind to the regulatory proteins and trigger contraction. • Within skeletal muscle cells are structures that provide the ability...

Energy sources - types

By: HWC, Views: 7905

• The amount of ATP stored in a skeletal muscle cell can only provide muscular activity for two to three seconds. • Muscle cells must be able to generate additional molecules of ATP to continue contracting. • Muscle cells can generate ATP from several processes: • Phosphogen syste...

Structures that affect circulation - kidneys, blood volume and venous tone

By: HWC, Views: 7682

• Kidneys regulate blood volume and blood osmolarity via salt and water reabsorption. • Increased reabsorption increases blood volume and venous return (and CO). • Decreased reabsorption increases urine production, which decreases blood volume and venous return (and CO). • Systemi...

Role of ATP in muscle movement

By: HWC, Views: 7817

• Muscle cells use ATP to power contraction and movement. • The hydrolysis of ATP to ADP releases • ATP can be regenerated by adding to ADP. • During muscular contraction, ATP molecules: • Energize the myosin head • Detach myosin from actin • ATP must be then regenerat...

Type of Cell Junctions - Desmosome, Hemidesmosomes and Gap Junctions

By: HWC, Views: 8073

Cell Junctions: Cell junctions are found in some multi-cellular organisms. They exist of complexes and are found between cells and between cells and other structures. The junctions provide a way for cells to connect and exchange signals. What are tight junctions, desmosomes, and gap junctions...

Stretch reflex & Tendon reflex

By: HWC, Views: 7428

• The stretch reflex is a response to the stretching of muscles. It is monosynaptic and ipsilateral. • Stretching stimulates receptors in the muscle spindle of the agonist (stretched) muscle. • One or more action potentials are generated by the receptors and propagate along the axon of ...

Contraction cycle of a sarcomere

By: HWC, Views: 8177

• A single nervous signal releases Ca2+ ions into the sarcoplasm and initiates the contraction cycle. step 1. ATP hydrolysis • ATP provides the to move myosin molecules back into the energized configuration necessary to perform the power stroke. Step 2. Crossbridge attachment • Myosin...

Nervous pathway to the Neuromuscular (NMJ)

By: HWC, Views: 8259

• A nervous impulse, also called an action potential, starts from the brain or spinal cord to signal skeletal muscle cell contraction. Action potentials continue along a motor neuron to the muscle cell. • The signal to contract must cross a synapse - the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) - betwe...