Muscle Properties • Irritability - A muscle irritability refers to the ability of the muscle to respond to a stimulus. • Contractility - A muscle contractility refers to the muscle’s ability to shorten in length. • Elasticity - This refers to the muscles ability to stretch and return to normal length. • Extensibility - This refers to the muscle’s ability to extend in length. • Conductivity - This refers to a muscle’s ability to transmit nerve impulses.
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Muscle Properties Irritability - A muscle irritability refers to the ability of the muscle to respond to a stimulus. Contractility - A muscle contractility.
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Muscle Properties• Irritability - A muscle irritability refers to the ability of the muscle to
respond to a stimulus.
• Contractility - A muscle contractility refers to the muscle’s ability to shorten in length.
• Elasticity - This refers to the muscles ability to stretch and return to normal length.
• Extensibility - This refers to the muscle’s ability to extend in length.
• Conductivity - This refers to a muscle’s ability to transmit nerve impulses.
Sarcomeres
• separated by narrow zones of dense material called Z lines
• within a sarcomere is a dark area called the A band (thick myofilaments)
• ends of the A band are darker because of overlapping thick and thin myofilaments
• the light coloured area is called the I band (thin myofilaments)
• the combination of alternating dark A bands and light I bands gives the muscle fibre its striated appearance
Muscle Contraction• Muscle structure under a microscopeMuscle fibres• skeletal muscle viewed under a microscope contains thousands of
these elongated, cylindrical cells Sarcolemma• the plasma membrane that covers each muscle fibreMyofibrils• found within each skeletal muscle fibre• cylindrical structures which run longitudinally through the muscle
fibre• consist of two smaller structures called myofilamentsMyofilaments• thin myofilaments and thick myofilaments• do not extend the entire length of a muscle fibre• they are arranged in compartments called sarcomeres
MyofilamentsThin myofilaments• thin myofilaments are anchored to the Z lines • composed mostly of the protein actin• actin is arranged in two single strands that entwine like a rope• each actin molecule contains a myosin- binding site• thin myofilaments contain two other protein molecules that help
regulate muscle contraction (tropomyosin and troponin)Thick myofilaments• composed mostly of the protein myosin which is shaped like a golf
club• the heads of the golf clubs project outward • these projecting heads are called cross bridges and contain an
actin- binding site and an ATP binding site
Sliding Filament Theory• during muscle contraction, thin myofilaments slide inward toward the
centre of a sarcomere• sarcomere shortens, but the lengths of the thin and thick
myofilaments do not change• myosin cross bridges of the thick myofilaments connect with
portions of actin on thin myofilaments• myosin cross bridges move like the oars of a boat on the surface of
the thin myofilaments• thin and thick myofilaments slide past one another• as thin myofilaments slide inward, the Z lines are drawn toward
each other and the sarcomere is shortened• myofilament sliding and sarcomere shortening result in muscle
contraction• this process can only occur in the presence of sufficient calcium
(Ca++) ions and an adequate supply of energy (ATP)
Contractile Machinery:
Sarcomeres• Contractile units• Organized in series
( attached end to end)• Two types of protein
myofilaments: - Actin: thin filament - Myosin: thick filament• Each myosin is surrounded
by six actin filaments• Projecting from each myosin
are tiny contractile myosin bridges
Longitudinal section of myofibril
a) at rest
High microscope magnification of a single sarcomere within a single myofibril
Contractile Machinery:Crossbridge formation and movement
• Cross bridge formation: - a signal comes from the motor nerve activating the fibre - the heads of the myosin filaments temporarily attach themselves to the actin filaments
Cross bridge movement: - similar to the stroking of the oars and movement of rowing shell- movement of myosin filaments in relation to actin filaments- shortening of the sarcomere- shortening of each sarcomere is additive