CHAPTER 6

MUSCULAR SYSTEM

 

OVERVIEW

 FUNCTIONS OF MUSCLES

(1)            Produce movement

(2)            Maintain posture

(3)            Stabilize joints

(4)            Generate heat—is a byproduct of muscle activity; as ATP is used to power muscle contraction nearly ¾ of its energy is given off as heat

   

    -The ability of muscles to shorten depends on two types of myofilaments(p. 70) 1)Actin,   2)Myosin

    -Three basic muscle types are found in the body(contrast the three)Table 6.1, also characteristics and locations are in lab manual

(1)            Skeletal Muscle-

 

(2)            Cardiac

 

(3)            Smooth

 

    -Muscle cells = Muscle fibers****

    -Contraction of muscles is due to the movement of microfilaments

    -All muscles share some terminology

     Prefix myo refers to muscle; prefix mys also refers to muscle; prefix sarco pertains to flesh

 

 

 

 

 

SKELETAL MUSCLE – 40% of body mass

    -Connective tissue wrappings of skeletal muscle; Fig. 6.1

(1)            Endomysium-around each single muscle fiber

(2)            Perimysium-around fascicle (bundle) of fibers

(3)            Epimysium-covers the entire skeletal muscle; becomes tendon or aponeuroses

(4)            Fascia-on the outside of the epimysium

  

    -Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscle (Fig. 6.3)

      -Skeletal muscles have the properties of Irritability and Contractility (shorten)

      -Cells are multinucleated; nuclei are just beneath the sarcolemma

     -Sarcolemma-plasma membrane of muscle fibers

     -Sarcoplasmic reticulum-specialized smooth endoplasmic reticulum; stores Ca++ ions

     -Myofibril; are bundles of myofilaments; myofibrils are aligned to give distinct bands

     -Sarcomere-contractile unit of a muscle fiber; structural and functional unit of skeletal muscle; Z disc, etc.

     -Organization of the sarcomere;  thick myofilaments are the myosin filaments; thin myofilaments are the actin filaments

I bands; A bands (alternating I and A bands causes a muscle fiber to be striated)

 

STIMULATION AND CONTRACTION OF SINGLE SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS (FIBERS); skeletal muscle cells must be stimulated by nerves in order to contract

Terms:

Motor Unit-one motor neuron and all the skeletal muscle cells it stimulates; Fig. 6.4

Neuromuscular Junction-association site (near contact) of nerve ending and muscle cell; Fig. 6.5

Synaptic Cleft-the gap between terminal end of motor neuron and muscle cell membrane(motor end plate)

Neurotransmitter-chemical released by nerve upon arrival of nerve impulse at the axonal terminal (it is Acetylcholine[Ach] where nerve meets muscle fiber)

Propagating action potential ( impulse)-Fig.-7.9

 

 

 

THE SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION; Fig . 6.7 and 6.8

 

CONTRACTION OF A SKELETAL MUSCLE

    -Muscle fiber contraction is “all or none

    -Within a skeletal muscle, not all fibers may be stimulated during the same interval

    -Different combinations of muscle fiber contractions may give differing responses

    -Graded responses-different degrees of skeletal muscle shortening

     -Types of Graded Responses: Fig. 6.9

(1)            Twitch-single, brief contraction; not a normal muscle function

(2)            Tetanus(summing of contractions); one contraction is immediately followed by another; the muscle does not completely return to a resting state;  the effects are added

(3)            Unfused(incomplete) tetanus-some relaxation occurs between contraction; the results are summed

(4)            Fused (complete) tetanus; no evidence of relaxation before the following contractions; the result is a sustained muscle contraction

MUSCLE RESPONSE TO STRONG STIMULI

    -Muscle force depends upon the number of fibers stimulated; the more fibers contracting results in greater muscle tension;  muscles continue to contract unless they run out of energy(ATP)

 

ENERGY FOR MUSCLE CONTRACTION Fig. 6.10

    -Direct Phosphorylation-from creatine phosphate stored in muscle (CP supplies depleted in about 20 seconds)

    -Aerobic Respiration-series of metabolic pathways that occur in the mitochondria; glucose is broken down to CO2 and water, releasing energy; this is a slower reaction that requires continuous oxygen

    -Anaerobic Glycolysis-reaction that breaks down glucose without oxygen; glucose is broken down to pyruvic acid to produce some ATP; pyruvic acid is converted to lactic acid which produces muscle fatigue (this reaction is not efficient, but fast and requires huge amounts of glucose)

 

MUSCLE FATIGUE AND OXYGEN DEBT

    -When a muscle is fatigued, it is unable to contract

    -The common reason for muscle fatigue is oxygen debt; oxygen must be “repaid” to tissue to remove oxygen debt and oxygen is required to get rid of accumulated lactic acid

    -When a muscle has increasing amounts of lactic acid and less ATP due to the lack of O2 is is unable to contract

Oxygen Debt-the difference between the resting rate of O2 consumption and the elevated rate following exercise

 

TYPES OF MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS

    -Isotonic contractions-myofilaments are able to slide past each other during contractions and the muscle shortens, movements occurs(example: weight lifting)

 

    -Isometric contractions-tension in the muscles increases; muscle is unable to shorten (examples: pushing against a brick wall or trying to pick up something too heavy)

 

 

 

 

MUSCLE TONE

    -Some fibers are contracted even in a relaxed muscle;  different fibers contract at different times to provide muscle tone (this process is under involuntary control)

    -muscle tone is a state of sustained partial muscular contraction that is vital for the health of muscles

 

MUSCLES AND BODY MOVEMENTS

    -Movement is attained due to a muscle moving an attached bone;Fig. 6.12

    -Muscles are attached to at least two points

      (1)Origin-attachment to an immovable bone(part of muscle that does not move)

     (2)Insertion-attachment to a moveable bone(the part of muscle that moves)

 

EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON MUSCLE

   -Increase in muscle size

   -Increase in muscle strength

   -Increase in muscle efficiency

   -Muscle becomes more fatigue resistant

 

STEPS IN MUSCLE CONTRACTION AND RELAXATION

SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY

 

1.  A nerve impulse reaches the end of a motor neuron, triggering the release

     of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

 

2.  Acetylcholine diffuses rapidly across the synaptic cleft of the

     neuromuscular junction and binds to acetylcholine receptors on the

     motor endplate of the muscle fiber. (cell)

    

3.  Stimulation of acetylcholine receptors initiates an impulse that travels

     along the sarcolemma (membrane is depolarized by the in rushing of Na+

     ions) and down into the fiber (cell) sarcoplasm to the sarcoplasmic

     reticulum where Ca++ ions are released.

 

4.  The Ca++ ions bind to the regulatory proteins on the Actin myofilaments.

    The regulatory proteins change both their shape and their position on the

     Actin myofilaments.  This action exposes the myosin binding sites on the

     Actin myofilaments where the Myosin heads (crossbridges) attach.

 

5.  The crossbridges (on the myosin myofilament) attach to their binding

     sites and ATP is used to help slide the Actin myofilament closer to the

     center of the sarcomere and the sarcomeres become shorter. (Z lines are

     closer together)

 

6.  The use of ATP to slide the Actin myofilaments changes ATP to ADP

     and then another phosphate is added to ADP to form ATP and this

     recocks the crossbridges to continue to help move the Actin

     myofilaments.

 

7.  When the muscle contraction has subsided, the Ca++ ions retreat back

     into the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the sarcolemma is back at its

     resting state. (Caused by the out-rushing of K+ ions and the Na+--K+

     pump.