Topic 7 Flashcards
What attaches skeletal muscle to bone?
Tendons
What attaches bone to bone?
Ligaments
What is skeletal muscle made up of?
Muscle fibres
What is the cell membrane of muscle fibre cells called?
Sarcolemma
What is sarcolemma?
The cell membrane of muscle fibre cells
What is sarcoplasm?
A muscle cell’s cytoplasm
What are transverse (T) tubules?
Infolds of sarcolemma which distribute electrical impulses throughout the sarcoplasm so they reach all parts of the muscle fibre
What is the sarcoplasmic reticulum?
Internal membranes running through the sarcoplasm. Stores and releases calcium ions
What is special about the contents of muscle fibre cells?
Contain main ATP, are multinucleate (contain many nuclei), contain myofibrils
What are myofibrils?
Long, cylindrical organelles made up of proteins specialised for contraction
What is the structure of a myofibril?
Contains thick and thin myofilaments that move past each other in contraction. Made of many repeating units called sarcomeres. Also contains tropomyosin and troponin
What are thick myofilaments made of?
Myosin
What are thin myofilaments made of?
Actin
What is the structure if myosin filaments?
Thicker myofilaments. Hinged globular heads that can move back and forth. Myosin heads have a binding site for actin and a binding site for ATP
What is the structure of actin filaments?
Thinner myofilaments. Have binding sites for myosin heads
What is the function of tropomyosin and troponin?
Tropomyosin blocks actin-myosin binding site in a resting muscle and is held in place by troponin. Troponin changes shape when Ca2+ binds, which moves tropomyosin out of the way
How does muscle contraction take place?
1) Action potential from motor neurone depolarises the sarcolemma.
2) Depolarisation spreads down T-tubules to the sarcoplasmic reticulum
3) Ca2+ released into sarcoplasm
4) Ca2+ binds to troponin, changing its shape, moving tropomyosin and exposing binding sites
5) Myosin head can bind to actin filament
6) Ca2+ ions also activate ATPase which breaks ATP down and provides energy
7) This energy moves the myosin head, pulling actin filament along
8) ATP also provides energy to break actin-myosin cross bridge so the head detaches
9) Head attaches to a different binding site, repeats cycle
10) Cycle continues as long as Ca2+ is present and bound to troponin
What happens when muscle excitation stops?
Ca2+ leaves troponin binding sites. Moved by active transport back into sarcoplasmic reticulum. Troponin returns to original shape. Tropomyosin again blocks binding sites. Actin filaments slide back to relaxed position.
Properties of slow twitch muscle fibres?
Contract slowly Used for posture Good for endurance Work a long time without tiring Energy released aerobically
Properties of fast twitch muscle fibres?
Contract quickly Used for fast movement Good for short burst of power Tire quickly Energy released anaerobically
What are the four stages of aerobic respiration?
Glycolysis, the link reaction, the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation
Where does Glycolysis occur?
Cytoplasm of cells
Where does the link reaction occur?
Matrix of Mitochondria
Where does the Krebs cycle occur?
Matrix of Mitochondria