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The Muscular System

The document discusses the muscular system, including the three types of muscle tissue - skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. It describes the basic properties of muscle tissues, as well as the gross and microanatomy of skeletal muscle. Key points covered include the control of skeletal muscle contraction via neural pathways, the roles of the neuromuscular junction and sarcoplasmic reticulum, and the contraction cycle. The principles of muscle tension, frequency of stimulation, and types of muscle contractions are also summarized.

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Hariz Man
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108 views19 pages

The Muscular System

The document discusses the muscular system, including the three types of muscle tissue - skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. It describes the basic properties of muscle tissues, as well as the gross and microanatomy of skeletal muscle. Key points covered include the control of skeletal muscle contraction via neural pathways, the roles of the neuromuscular junction and sarcoplasmic reticulum, and the contraction cycle. The principles of muscle tension, frequency of stimulation, and types of muscle contractions are also summarized.

Uploaded by

Hariz Man
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 PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Muscular System

Three types of muscle tissue


Skeletal muscle Cardiac muscle Smooth muscle

Basic properties of muscle tissues


Excitability Contractlity Extensibility Elasticity

Skeletal muscle

Cardiac muscle

Smooth muscle

Functions of skeletal muscle


Skeletal muscles attach to bones directly or indirectly and perform the following functions
Produce skeletal movements Maintain posture and body position Support soft tissue Guard entrances and exits Maintain body temperature (heat production)

Gross anatomy
Each muscle is surrounded by an endomysium Bundles of muscle fibres are sheathed by a perimysium Entire muscle is covered by an epimysium The end of the muscle is a tendon that connects muscle to bone

Microanatomy
A muscle cell has
Sarcolemma (cell membrane) Sarcoplasm (cytoplasm) Sarcoplasmic reticulum Transverse tubules Myofibrils
Thin filaments (actin) Thick filaments (myosin)

The control of skeletal muscle fibre contraction


Neural controlled
Link between electrical activity in the sarcolemma And the initietion of a contraction

Function of the neuromuscular junction


Each skeletal muscle fibre is controlled by a neuron at a NMJ When an action potential arrives at the synaptic knob, acetylcholine is released into the synaptic cleft The binding of ACh to the motor end plates leads to the generation of the action potential in the sarcolemma The passage of an action potential along tranverse tubule triggers the release of calcium ion from the cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum

The contraction cycle


Repeated cycle of attach, pivot,detach and return. Begins when calcium ions are released by sarcoplasmic reticulum Calcium ion binds to troponin moves tropomyosin away from the active sites Cross bridge attachment Each myosin head pivots at its base, pulling the actin filament toward the centre of sarcomere

Cross bridge attachment occurrance


Contraction Tone
When relaxed, some cross bridges stay connected, makes starting a contraction easier, keeps the body in its correct postural position

Cramp
Cross bridge say connected in the contracted position (pivot), caused by disordered stimulation of fibres within a motor unit. Depletion of important minerals such as calcium after a prolonged vigorous exercise, etc

All or none principle


Until the electrical impulse (action potential) reaches a certain threshold level of intensity, it will not cause a stimulation of muscle fibres. Once the threshold level is reached, all the muscle fibres within a motor unit will contract at the same time, to the maximum possible extent

Muscle tension
The number and size of a muscle motor units indicate how precisely controlled its movements are An increase in muscle muscle tension is produced by increasing the number of active motor units through recruitment by the brain Resting muscle tone stabilizes bones and joints

Frequency of stimulation
A muscle fiber twitch (a single stimuluscontraction-relaxation sequence) consists of a latent period, a contraction period and a relaxation phase. Repeated stimulation before the relaxation phase ends can results in the addition of twitches (known as summation) This will produce incomplete tetanus (tension peaked because the muscle ns never allowed to relax completely) Or complete tetanus (relaxation phase is completely eliminated) Almost all normal muscular contractions involve the complete tetanus of the participating muscle units

Muscle interaction
Skeletal muscles never work alone Must work as a group to produce co-ordinated movements Muscles that cause joints to bend flexors Muscles that cause joints to straighten extensors Agonist or prime mover produces desired movements Antagonist relaxes opposition to the agonist Fixator stabilize the origin so that the prime mover can achieve maximum and effective contraction Synergists neutralise or prevent any undesired movement

Types of contractions
Isotonic
Concentric Eccentric

Isometric Isokinetic

Types of skeletal muscle fibre


Slow twitch
Red in colour Contracts slowly Aerobically

Fast twitch
Type II a fast oxidative glycolictic Type II b fast twitch glycolictic

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