Chapter 10 Flashcards
Why are skeletal muscles on either sides of joints?
to stabilize them
What is contractility?
shorten using energy; return to shape when relaxed
What is excitability?
electrical events can be started in skeletal muscles (called an action potential)
What does it mean that a skeletal muscle is conductive?
muscles are long, so the whole muscle can get “excited”
What is distensibility?
stretch
What is elasticity?
recoil
How do muscle fibers develop?
through fusion of myoblasts
How do myoblasts form muscle fibers?
myosatellite cells give rise to new myoblasts that fuse together to form muscle fiber
Where do nuclei sit in skeletal muscle fibers?
on the edges (peripheral); right up under plasma membrane
What causes striations in mature muscle cells?
proteins
What is one of the roles of muscle fiber nuclei?
constantly fixing proteins in cells and making proteins
What is the sarcolemma?
plasma membrane of the muscle fiber
surrounds sarcoplasm
What is the sarcolemma capable of?
changing charge
a change in transmembrane potential at the sarcolemma begins contractions
What are transverse (T) tubules?
tunnels that have inside open to ECF
filled with positive fluid, compared to negative charge inside cell
How does an action potential travel in the muscle cell?
travels down sarcolemma and down t-tubules, setting off charge change
What is the sarcoplasmic reticulum?
a membranous structure surrounding each myofibril
stores calcium necessary for muscle contraction
has end chambers (terminal cisternae) attached to t-tubules
What is a triad?
one t-tubule and 2 terminal cisternae from 2 different SR
What does an action potential allow the cisternae and SR to do?
release calcium
Where do the terminal cisternae release calcium into?
the sarcoplasm
What are myofibrils?
overlapping myofilaments
What are myofilaments responsible for?
muscle contractions
Where do thin filaments attach to?
z-disc
Where do thick filaments attach to?
m-line
What is the sarcomere?
contractile unit of muscle