Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Exercise Phys > Skeletal Muscle Physiology > Flashcards

Skeletal Muscle Physiology Flashcards

(60 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

How big are muscle cells?

A

10-12 cm long

100 micron in diameter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the layer of surrounding tissue on muscle fibres called?

A

Endomysium

Layer of connective tissue coating individual muscle fibre

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are bundles of muscle fibres called?

A

Fascicles

Around the fascicles are structures called the perimysium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the layer around the muscle called?

A

Epimysium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Is skeletal muscle striated?

A

Yes, due to the organised structure of the contractile proteins.

Dark band = A band Anisotropic to light (Doesn’t allow polarised light through it)
Only find myosin filaments in the A band
M band is in the middle of the A band (myosin filaments are attached to one another)

Light band = I band
Isotropic to light
(Polarised light can pass through either direction)
Middle of the I band is the Z line
Sarcomere goes from one Z line to another (functional unit)

Thin filaments are attached at the Z line, also overlap the thick filaments but depends on how stretched the muscle is

Cardiac muscle is also striated.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are myofilaments?

A

Protein complexes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are thick filaments formed from?

A

From large numbers of myosin II molcules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Where is the enzyme activity regulated in myofilaments?

A

In the regulatory light chain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Which two light chains form a-helix?

A

Alkali light chain

Regulatory light chain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How are thin filaments formed?

A

From actin in the complex with troponin and tropomyosin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How is force generated in thin filaments?

A

By cross-bridges between myosin and actin

Conformational changes in the myosin head that generate force that causes the filaments to slide in opposite directions

Only works when the myosin binding sites are exposed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What does the troponin complex do?

A

It binds calcium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is titin?

A

It is the third myofilaments

Its role is to stabilise the myosin filaments positions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does titin do to sarcomere?

A

It extends the distance by half a sarcomere

Attaches at the M line and extends all the way to a Z line

Bound to the thick filament and then is in a free form to the Z line

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How does titin resist muscles from being over-stretched?

A

It stops sarcomeres from being over extended

Amount of tension it develops depends on intracellular calcium levels. Increased levels = high titin levels compared to at rest

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What happens at the motor neuron?

A
  • Branching at the axon

- Synaptic terminals sitting on the end plate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What do the folds at the neuromuscular junction do?

A

The increase the surface area of the end plate membrane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What type of receptors are nicotinic ACh receptors?

A

They are inotropic receptors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What do T-tubules do?

A

They carry action potential into the depth of the muscle fibres

Speed up conduction and make fast twitching possible

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the sarcoplasmic reticulum?

A

Its a specialised region of the endoplasmic reticulum

Intracellular store of calcium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are end plate projections?

A

Electron density due to protein structures that extend to the t-tubules to the sarcoplasmic reticulum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

How are triads formed?

A

Through three terminal cisternae bundling together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are dihydropyridine receptors?

A

They are voltage gated channels that sense changes in membrane potential in the T-tubule during action potentials

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are ryanodine receptors?

A

They release calcium from SR into cytoplasm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Where does the calcium come from in skeletal muscle?
From the Sarcoplasmic reticulum from a process called voltage dependent calcium release
26
What happens at low or resting calcium levels?
Tropomyosin is inhibiting the binding of myosin to actin filaments
27
What happens when calcium levels rise and are at high levels?
It binds to tropoinin and moves the tropomyosin from the myosin binding site. Myosin binding site is exposed and cross bridge cycling can occur
28
What is the cross bridge cycle step 1?
1. ATP binds to myosin head
29
What is the cross bridge cycle step 2?
2. ATP is hydrolysed. Myosin head returns to resting position
30
What is the cross bridge cycle step 3?
3. Cross-bridge forms at new position on actin
31
What is the cross bridge cycle step 4?
4. P is released and conformational change results in power-stroke Power stroke occurs when the phosphate is released from the complex
32
What is the cross bridge cycle step 5?
5. ADP is released
33
What depends on the quickness of the cross-bridge cycling?
- The ATPase activity - Different forms of myosin with different rates of ATPase activity - Fast myosin ATP activity = quicker twitches - Only occurs when ATP is in the cell and when calcium is elevated
34
What are the steps of excitation-contraction coupling?
1) End plate potential triggers AP in muscle fibre 2) AP propagates along sarcolemma and down T-tubules 3) Depolarisation of T-tubules is sensed by DHPRs that are mechanically coupled to RYR on SR causing them to open. 4) Ca2+ is released into the cytoplasm – initiates crossbridge cycling and contraction 5) Ca2+ is pumped back into SR by SERCA (sarcoplasmic and endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase) and this terminates crossbridge cycling.
35
How quickly force is developed depends on?
- Myosin ATPase and how quickly cross bridge cycling can occur - Efficiency of SR, how organised it is and how quickly calcium is released
36
What is a motor unit?
A single alpha motor neuron and the fibres that it innovates
37
What are the muscle fibre types?
``` - Type I (slow) Make up 50% of fibres in an average muscle - Type II (fast) Type IIa (fatigue resistant) 25% Type IIx (fast fatigue) 25% ```
38
What are the differences between type I and type II?
Speed - Fast myosin ATPase = fast contraction cycling Slower myosin ATPase = slower contraction cycle Sarcoplasmic reticulum - Type II fibres have more developed SR, Fast calcium release Motor units - Type I motor unit: smaller neuron, less than 300 fibres Type II motor unit: larger neuron, more than 300 fibres
39
What happens if you increase the action potential firing frequency?
You will get summation of force | Total amount of force is increased till you cant see the individual twitches
40
How long in weeks do we see an increase of muscle fibre size?
8-10 weeks of training that you start to see muscle hypertrophy. Cant get muscle hypertrophy without neural adaptations
41
What are short term strengths due to?
Neural adaptations
42
What happens if you scream loudly before exercise?
Stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (rush of adrenaline)
43
How does hypnotism (told they would not get injured) provide for the best strength training method?
It stimulates the CNS in influencing strength and power output
44
How does strength gain occur?
Through neural adaptations via plasticity Synchronous recruitment --> Strength gains Strength gain may also result from greater motor unit recruitment, neural drive will increase and frequency of neural discharge will increase
45
How else can strength gains occur?
By decreasing inhibitory inputs to the muscles Inhibition of firing to the muscle occurs, like a negative feedback loop Prevents damage to bones and tendons More force can be occurred Reduced coactivation may lead to strength gain. Normally antagonists oppose agonist force
46
What is transient muscle hypertrophy?
Swelling of the muscles after exercise Due to adema, fluid leaking into the interstitial spaces, plasma leaving the blood vessels, causes swelling
47
What is chronic muscle hypertrophy?
Increases strength Increases in the size of individual muscle fibres Maximised by high velocity eccentric training Disrupts sarcomere Z-lines
48
How much % larger is weightlifters fibres in cross sectional area?
45% larger
49
What happens when myonuclei numbers are increased?
Muscle fibre cross-sectional area increases
50
How many weeks after traning do the myonuclei numbers increase?
5-6 weeks
51
What are the source of the nuclei?
Myogenic stem (satellite cells) that fuse with muscle fibre
52
What happens if you stop training?
The number of myonuclei are retained in the cell for long periods after training even after the muscle have atrophied. Myonuclei may be source of muscle memory - along with neural adaptations Retraining - muscle can be built back faster than if you didn't train at all
53
What happens to synthesis and degradation during and after exercise?
During exercise: synthesis decreases, degradation increases After exercise: synthesis increases, degradation decreases
54
What is the mechanisms that relies on the dramatic increase of protein synthesis?
Activation of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) It regulates all sorts of cellular processes that are involved in energy utilisation and metabolism Receives inputs, coordinates the inputs and regulates the protein synthesis that occurs Inactive form moves to the lysosome and becomes activated LEADS TO PROTEIN SYNTHESIS All of this is synergistic, need exercise, amino acids and insulin to activate mTOR
55
How much protein do you need to increase muscle mass per day?
1.6-1.7 grams of protein per kg body weight per day
56
What is hyperplasia?
Increase of muscle size per increase of muscle number Increase of muscle number cells Intense strength training = fibres splitting NOT CLEAR IF ITS HAPPENING IN HUMANS Satellite cells are involved in skeletal muscle regeneration
57
What are myogenic stem cells important in?
- Hypertrophy - Hyperplasia - Injury
58
Are fibre type alterations possible?
No, exercise unlikely to completely change fibre type in short to medium term
59
What are the adaptations with aerobic training?
- Change of cardiovascular and repiratory system to influence increase of VO2 max - Increases muscle hypertrophy of type I fibres - Increased number of capillaries supplying each fibre (angiogenesis) - Increased myoglobin content by 75 to 80% (increased oxidative capacity)
60
What do mitochondria do during aerobic training?
Increased size and number of mitochondria Utilises oxygen to generate ATP Exercises increases good healthy number of mitochondria Old mitochondria gets removed via mitophagy through exercise

Exercise Phys (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions