Musculoskeletal Flashcards
(43 cards)
What makes up a motor unit?
Single motor neuron and muscle fibres innervated by it
What makes up a motor neurone pool?
All motor neurones that supply one whole muscle
What is the neurotransmitter and receptor always found at a neuromuscular junction?
Acetylcholine
Nicotinic receptors
What is the sarcolemma of a muscle fibre?
The muscle fibre membrane
What part of the muscle fibre releases calcium on stimulation?
Sarcoplasmic reticulum
What are T tubules of the muscle fibre and what do they allow?
Deep invaginations of sarcolemma
Allow for quick depolarisation of interior
What causes depolarisation at the neuromuscular junction?
Influx of Na+
What are the thick filaments of the muscle fibre also called?
Myosin
What are the thin filaments of the muscle fibre also called?
Actin
What happens to myosin when the muscle fibre is contracting?
Binds with actin and uses ATP to ‘recock’ heads
What does tropomyosin do when not stimulated?
Lies over the actin filaments and blocks the myosin binding sites
What does troponin do when it is activated?
Binds to calcium, causing a change in shape so that it pulls tropomyosin out of the way
Which are the A bands and what happens to them during contraction?
The dark bands (myosin)
Stay at constant length
Which are the I bands and what happens to them during contraction?
The light bands (actin)
Shorten during contraction
What are the four ATP sources in skeletal muscle?
Phosphocreatine
Anaerobic respiration
Aerobic respiration
Free fatty acid oxidation
What are the three types of muscle contraction and briefly describe each.
Isotonic - shortening
Isometric - remains same length
Eccentric - lengthening
What type of muscle fibre is type I?
Slow twitch, oxidative fibre
Red in colour
What type of muscle fibre is type IIa?
Fast twitch, oxidative fibre
Red in colour
What type of muscle fibre is type IIb?
Fast twitch, glycolytic fibre
White in colour
Which muscle fibre is most resistant to fatigue and which fatigues most rapidly?
Most resistant - type I
Fatigues rapidly - type IIb
What is the red colour of muscle fibres due to?
High content of myosin
What is the recruitment order of muscle fibres types?
1st - type I (smallest neurons - depolarise quicker)
2nd - type IIa
3rd - type IIb
What does contraction strength depend on?
Number of motor units recruited
Frequency of impulses
What is the difference in cartilage in the young, adults and elderly?
Young - hypercellular, no zones, no tidemark
Adult - hypocellular, high matrix, tidemark
Elderly - even fewer cells, matrix degradation