The skeletal muscle structure is composed of bone, tendon, fascicle, muscle fibers, sarcoplasmic

reticulum, nucleus, mitochondria, myofibril, myosin, actin, and connective tissues such as fascia,
epimysium, perimysium, and endomysium. Some research areas in muscle structure that have been
studied include the following: the effects of muscle structure and stretch-shortening cycle on force and
speed, muscle structure and fatigue during contractions in man, and the aging of human muscle structure,
function, and adaptability. With increasing age, human skeletal muscles gradually decrease due to a
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reduced number of motor units and muscle fibers.
Force and speed are influenced by the structure

2
and mechanics of intact human skeletal muscles.It was found that individuals with muscles made up
of a high proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers demonstrated higher peak knee extension torque, and a
greater susceptibility to fatigue than did individuals with muscles mainly composed of slow twitch muscle
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fibers.

Figure 1- Drawing of the structure of the skeletal muscle.

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/609456320600342528
When a neuron stimulates a muscle cell an action potential sweeps over the plasma membrane
of the muscle cell. The action potential releases internal stores of calcium that flow through the muscle
cell and trigger a contraction. Muscle cells have an elaborate architecture that allows them to distribute
calcium ions quickly throughout the cytosol. Deep tubular invaginations of the plasma membrane called
T-tubules criss cross the cell. When the cell is stimulated, a wave of depolarization that is an action
potential spreads from the synapse over the plasma membrane and via the T-tubules deep into the cell.
A voltage sensitive protein in these membranes opens a calcium release channel in the adjacent
sarcoplasmic reticulum, which is the major calcium store in muscle cells, thereby releasing a burst of
calcium ions all throughout the cytosol of the cell. Within a contractile bundle of a muscle cell, called a
myofibril, the calcium interacts with protein filaments to trigger a contraction. In each contracting unit, or
sarcomere, thin actin and thick myosin filaments are just opposed, but cannot interact in the absence of
calcium. This is because myosin binding sites on the actin filaments are all covered by a rod-shaped
protein called tropomyosin. A calcium sensitive complex called troposin is attached to the end of each
tropomyosin molecule. When calcium floods the cell, troponin binds to it, moving tropomyosin off the
myosin-binding sites. Opening the myosin-binding sites on the actin filaments allows the myosin motors
to crawl along the actin, resulting in a contraction of the muscle fiber. Calcium is then quickly returned to
the sarcoplasmic reticulum by the action of a calcium pump. Without calcium, myosin releases actin and
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the filaments slide back to their original positions.

Figure 2: Filaments relaxed compared to filaments fully contracted.

Figure 3: Rabbit muscle tissue before (LEFT) and after (RIGHT) contraction. Magnification
x100, photo by Rachel Barnes and Terre Lara.
Length of Myofibers
BEFORE AT P

Length of Myofibers
AFT ER AT P

Initial Length Contracted Length

(mm)

Degree of Contraction
/ Initial Length x100

T rial 1

14mm

9mm

5mm

35.7%

T rial 2

15mm

12mm

3mm

20%

T rial 3

22mm

15mm

7mm

31.8%

T rial 4

18mm

11mm

7mm

38.8%

T rial 5

13mm

8mm

5mm

38.5%

Average Percent Change: 134%

Table 1: Length of myofibers before and after ATP.

Diameter BEFORE
AT P

Diameter AFT ER AT P

Initial LengthContracted Length

(mm)

% Change

T rial 1

5mm

11mm

-6mm

-120%

T rial 2

3mm

7mm

-4mm

-133%

T rial 3

4mm

6mm

-2mm

-50%

T rial 4

7mm

14mm

-7mm

-100%

T rial 5

6mm

11mm

-5mm

-83.3%

Average Percent Change: -97.26%

Table 2: Diameter of myofiber before and after ATP.

There were variations in measurements between using the ruler, microscope, and iPad. There
were also variations in the length of the muscle sample and the number of fibers. The temperature from
the microscope also affected variations because it made it hotter, faster. The amount of ATP used and
the time it sat there was also a variation between the different trials. These variations impacted the
observations and data because everyones data differed depending on how long the piece of rabbit
muscle was that was cut off, how many muscle fibers were within the muscle sample, and how long the
microscope was on which increased the amount of heat. Percent change is used to compare the data
because it is an efficient way of averaging all of the data and being able to compare the percentages to
one another.
Muscle fibers differ from a cross country runners leg muscles compared to a sprinters leg
muscles. A cross country runners leg muscles are meant for long distance runs. Therefore, a cross
country runner would have a slow-twitch fiber also known as slow oxidative fiber. Slow oxidative
muscle fibers do not contract forcefully and require less energy to get going. However, on the other
hand, a sprinter would have fast-twitch muscle fibers also known as fast glycolytic fibers because
sprinters are meant for short distance runs. Fast glycolytic muscle fibers contract more forcefully and are
meant for fast, more explosive movements. The difference between a cross country runners leg muscles
and a sprinters leg muscles is one having slow-twitch muscle fibers, also known as slow oxidative
fibers, compared to fast-twitch muscle fibers, also known as fast glycolytic fibers.
SLOW OXIDAT IVE

FAST
OXIDAT IVE-GLYCOLYT IC

FAST GLYCOLYT IC

FIBER DIAMET ER

Smallest

Intermediate

Largest

FORCE

Lowest

Intermediate

Greatest

MYOSIN AT PASE

Slowest

Fastest

Fastest

CONT RACT ION VELOCIT Y

Slow

Fast

Fast

MET HODS OF AT P
GENERAT ION

Aerobic Respiration

Both

Glycolysis

GLYCOGEN ST ORES

Low

Intermediate

High

CAPILLARIES

Many

Many

Few

MYOGLOBIN CONT ENT

High

High

Low

COLOR

Red-Brown

Red-Pink

White

Table 3: Characteristics of skeletal muscle fiber types.

Table 4

Continuous Grip
Time interval

Maximum force (N)

10 s

118.7

20

30 s

91.3

27.4

40

50 s

83.9

7.4

60

70 s

71.0

12.9

80

90 s

92.4

-21.4

Maximum force (N)

Table 4: Maximum force and change in maximum force with continuous grip.
Table 5

Repetitive Grip
Time interval

Maximum force (N)

10 s

155.8

20

30 s

139.4

16.4

40

50 s

137.6

1.8

60

70 s

127.6

10

80

90 s

134.6

-7

Maximum force (N)

Table 5: Maximum force and change in maximum force with repetitive grip.
The difference between grip strength endurance in a male and female does not differ as much as
most people would think. While larger males produced greater average grip force than did females, no
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significant differences existed between the genders in measures of relative endurance.
Although males

will tend to have a greater grip force in general compared to females, the level of endurance does not
differ just because of gender. Also, the dominant hand was significantly stronger than the opposite
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hand, but also fatigued more rapidly. This trend was more pronounced in females than in males.

Table 6

Continuous Grip
Time Interval

Male

Female

Maximum force (N)

Maximum force (N)

10 s

390.7

168.1

20

30 s

213.5

156.2

40

50 s

183.3

99.6

60

70 s

210.6

82.9

80

90 s

287.8

118.7

Table 6: The difference between continuous grip of a male and female.

The research in the paragraph discussing the difference between continuous grip force between
males and females concluded that although males tend to have a greater grip overall that the overall
endurance between males and females does not differ. Although Table 6 only provides one-on-one
information, it is easy to distinguish the fact that there is a pattern of greater numbers in the males
continuous grip force compared to the females continuous grip force. Therefore, if there were more
data included in the table then the research could easily be proven.

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Works Cited
Porter, M. M., Vandervoort, A. A., & Lexell, J. (1995). Aging of human muscle: structure,
function and adaptability.
Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports
,
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(3),
129-142.
KOMI, P. V. (1984). Physiological and biomechanical correlates of muscle function: effects of
muscle structure and stretch-shortening cycle on force and speed.
Exercise and sport sciences
reviews
,
12
(1), 81-122.
Komi, P. V., & Tesch, P. (1979). EMG frequency spectrum, muscle structure, and fatigue
during dynamic contractions in man.
European Journal of Applied Physiology and
Occupational Physiology
,
42
(1), 41-50.
Alberts, et al.,
Molecular Biology of the Cell,
Fifth Edition,
Garland Science Publishing

2008 Garland Science Publishing and Sumanas, Inc.

Nicolay, C. W., & Walker, A. L. (2005). Grip strength and endurance: Influences of
anthropometric variation, hand dominance, and gender.
International Journal of Industrial
Ergonomics
,
35
(7), 605-618
.
Nicolay, C. W., & Walker, A. L. (2005). Grip strength and endurance: Influences of
anthropometric variation, hand dominance, and gender.
International Journal of Industrial
Ergonomics
,
35
(7), 605-618
.